Stroke of Midnight
by Taliax
Summary: Two dances, four destinies changed. "He was going to make this stupid ball a night to remember." Or, the one where Terra goes to the ball with Cinderella, and Vanitas crafts a creative plan to deal with Aqua. Varying degrees of Terra/Cinderella and Vanitas/Aqua. T for some violence and darker themes.
1. Believing

**A/N: Like the completely irresponsible writer I am, I decided to go ahead and work on another multichapter even though I've barely started ASAS and might even be doing NaNo this year. X'D I finally got the pieces to line up for this story though, which I've had in the back of my mind since even before I started Cast a Shadow if I remember correctly. Anyway, it's been a long time since I've had this problem, but I just couldn't get the next chapter of ASAS to work for me until I got this out of my system.**

 **Takes place in BbS canon in the Castle of Dreams world, though it will become canon divergent later on. Also, I have no idea how long this will end up being. Currently my shortest multichapter with a finished plot is 15 chapters long, but I'd really prefer if this ended up shorter. Since I tend to contradict all of my predictions that I leave in author's notes though I'll stop speculating on it. :P**

 **If you're reading this for the Van/Aqua, don't worry, that comes in the next chapter. This one is mostly Terrella. I was going to include them all together, but it was getting way too long, so I ended up splitting it.**

 **Other notes/warnings: this starts out fairly cute, but it will end up getting darker. Not 100% sure by how much, but let's just say Vanitas is not a good person.**

 **XXX**

The stupid girl was crying.

Vanitas watched her from a thicket of trees, the place where he always designated his dark corridors to materialize. He had scouted this world long enough to know that this spot was close enough to civilization to be useful, but hidden enough to conceal his arrival. By virtue of always picking this particular location, he had caught glimpses of this girl before, as it was near a plot of land he assumed was her garden. The proximity was intentional. Not because he cared about this girl - in fact, she sickened him with her incessant singing as she went about her work. Unfortunately, Xehanort had ordered him to keep an eye on her. She was, after all, a heart of pure light.

Which was why he was surprised to find her crying. What could _she_ possibly have to cry about? Life must be all butterflies and rainbows for her.

He crept silently through the undergrowth, emerging between two tangles of briars. They caught on the red hem of his waist-cape - he refused to call the stupid garment a skirt - but the girl ignored the rustling as he tugged it free. As far as he could tell, she was fully wrapped in the world of her own misery. Well, all the better for him. His job would be easier than he thought.

She didn't even lift her head as he slunk behind her. A simple Stop spell ensured that she never would. Then, acting before the spell wore off, he seized her shoulders and drew upon her light. It was a nameless spell, and one he only understood as he performed it. It felt almost like creating Unversed, only in reverse; instead of releasing negativity, he was stealing positivity.

His skin burned through his suit; his lips parted in silent agony. Fiery needles pierced his heart like some kind of demonic acupuncture. Yet the scent - like flowers and cotton; sugar and sky - and the _rush -_ the feeling of waking up, of finally being alive - more than made up for the pain.

He wanted to keep drinking it in, but her heart would recognize the foreign parasite soon enough. Part of him longed to join with this random girl, the way he soon would with Ventus, but that was beyond stupid. If Ventus was still weak, then this girl was little more than a bug. He'd accidentally kill her before they would even have a chance of merging.

Forcing himself to let go was like leaving an all-you-can-eat buffet after only taking a single bite. He jerked back his hands just as the girl's head shot up.

By the time she looked over her shoulder, he was once more hidden in the trees. As much as he wanted to strike fear into her sunshine-filled heart, he might need her again. No point in tipping her off to what he'd done.

He watched her for a moment to see if she would notice anything off - but she just went right back to sobbing. Seriously, what was wrong with this girl?

"I'll give you something to cry about," Vanitas muttered under his breath, preparing to wrangle his Annoyance into some Floods and Scrappers. Just as his hand was stretched out to create the Unversed, however, a voice stopped him.

"Is something wrong?"

For half a second, he thought the question was directed at him. A stupid assumption, considering no one but Xehanort ever talked to him. But then he saw Terra's burly form approaching the crying girl. Of course, Vanitas should've recognized the voice. He'd spied on Eraqus's apprentices more times than he could remember. He just hadn't expected the taller keyblade wielder to appear _here_ of all places. Xehanort had ordered him to intercept Aqua here, but he hadn't said anything about Terra.

 _Probably didn't want me picking a fight with his vessel,_ Vanitas grumbled internally. The old man never let him have any fun.

"It's just that my friends made me the most beautiful dress - but my stepmother and stepsisters ruined it. And I was so looking forward to the ball." The girl's voice slapped him out of his reverie.

"A _ball?"_ Vanitas couldn't help the exclamation. "She's sobbing over a freaking _ball?"_ And a _dress!_ Void's Abyss, did Princesses of Heart seriously have nothing better to worry about?

If what the girl had said was embarrassingly pathetic, then Terra's reply was even worse.

"Darkness always finds a way into a wounded heart. You have to be strong. Strength of heart will carry you through the hardest of trials."

Vanitas could've burst out laughing right there. A few Archravens of sadistic amusement wanted to flap their way out. Terra, who was about to succumb to the darkness himself, was lecturing a _Princess of Heart_ about it?

He would've stayed to see how their conversation played out, but not only was it likely to get more pathetic from there, he was also on a time limit. Aqua would be here soon, and his cloaking of light wouldn't last forever.

So he set free a mob of Unversed and loped off through the forest.

XXX

"I can't believe… not anymore…"

Terra could hardly believe it himself. The young woman was still crying, seemingly unaware that more than just her dress had been in danger. Puffs of darkness still hung in the air, the fading remnants of the Unversed he'd destroyed.

 _I always said I wanted strength to protect,_ he told himself, _not strength to impress others._ Whether she knew it or not, he had been able to fulfill his purpose as a keyblade wielder. The Master would have been proud of him.

Then again, maybe he would've been more proud if Terra knew a way to help this girl stop crying. It wasn't like he had any experience - whenever Aqua cried, she'd also give you this look like if you tried to comfort her, she'd punch you in the face. She might be such a girl sometimes, but others…

He shook his head. The one thing Aqua _would_ sometimes let him do was bring her ice cream, but he didn't have any of that on him at the moment.

Just when he was about to kneel down and maybe pat her shoulder or something, a strange blue mist started to condense on the air in front of her.

"Uh…" He almost summoned his keyblade, thinking it could be more Unversed, but then he heard the voice.

"Strength of heart is important, but that's not all you need."

What - had this weird voice been _spying_ on them? His face flushed, suddenly self-conscious of his failed attempt to comfort the young woman. Not that he had any reason to be; it wasn't his fault she was crying. And this voice had no right to criticise his advice!

"There's nothing left to believe in… nothing…" The young woman shook with her sobs. That seemed a _little_ extreme for having just lost a chance at a ball. There had to be more to the story than that. Maybe her stepsisters had hurt her too. He could cast Cure on her, just in case.

"Nothing, my dear? Oh, now, you don't really mean that," the mist said, coalescing into… an old lady? She was cloaked in a blue robe with a giant pink bow tied at her neck. Well, he'd seen stranger things in the past few days. At least she seemed more benevolent than Maleficent and the Queen had been. Not that he had proven himself to be a stunning judge of character…

"Oh...but I do. It's just no use."

The floating lady placed a hand on her shoulder. Maybe he should've tried a comforting pat after all. "Nonsense! If you'd lost all your faith, I couldn't be here, and here I am. Oh, come now, dry those tears. You can't go to the ball looking like that."

The girl looked up, tears still streaming down her face. "The ball? Oh, but I'm not-"

"Of course you are. But we'll have to hurry. Now, what were those magic words? Oh yes... Bibbidi-Bobbidi-boo!"

What the-? That wasn't any kind of magic spell Terra knew. Not that he was the expert on magic; he left that to Aqua, but he was pretty sure she'd agree.

When the lady's wand shot out glitter that summoned a pumpkin from across the garden, Terra began to wonder if he'd accidentally inhaled too many D-Link Crystals. As that pumpkin evolved into a gleaming white carriage, he became increasingly sure of it. He would've run away if he hadn't been worried he'd pass out somewhere.

He made up his mind to sneak away anyway, but then the old lady-fairy waved her wand again - this time towards the young woman. His jaw dropped as her tattered dress swirled with glitter and grew into a full white ballgown.

"Oh... It's a beautiful dress," the woman gasped. Suddenly she didn't look so young. Certainly not old, but - mature. ...Or something like that. He was just glad she was too enthralled herself to catch him staring. "Why… it's a dream come true!"

The fairy was saying something, but Terra wasn't paying attention. He could feel something, the same sixth sense that alerted him to Aurora and Snow White. It was something like the tingle of stepping into a warm bath on a chilly day. The feeling of pure light.

 _And she had to put on a pretty dress for me to see it. Am I really that shallow?_

"Excuse me, sir," the woman was waving a white-gloved hand at him.

"Huh?" He blinked. The fairy was gone, but the woman, carriage, and even two horses were still there. He still wanted to blame the D-Link Crystals, but he reluctantly admitted that his imagination probably wouldn't be this good even if he actually was on drugs.

"You're going to the ball too, aren't you?" She asked with a smile.

"Uh… I… sure…?" _No, you moron, you're not!_ He wanted to slap himself. It wasn't like he'd never seen a pretty girl before - well, actually, it was. Aqua was like his sister; she didn't count. _She_ would probably slap him for saying that…

"Would you like a ride in my carriage? It's no trouble."

"Um, ah, no thank you… I actually, uh, wasn't invited," he finally managed to stammer. It didn't help that her light only served to remind him of what he'd done to Aurora, and nearly done to Snow White. It was a surprise no shady villainess had come to demand he steal this woman's heart yet.

 _At this rate, she's going to steal mine,_ the coherent part of his mind thought wryly, before he pushed it aside. He was a keyblade wielder, for light's sake, not some fairytale hero whose main job was to sweep princesses off their feet.

The woman laughed, a stereotypically musical sound. "The whole kingdom is invited; surely you know? Or are you not from here?"

"Um, no, I'm from here," he covered quickly, wishing his clothes didn't make him stick out like the foolish outworlder he was. The Master would be furious if he revealed the existence of other worlds. If only that fairy had worked some magic on him, too… "I'm just not, uh, the kind of person who knows his way around a ball."

"Well, that makes two of us." She gave him another perfect smile. No one should be allowed to smile at complete strangers like that. "Shall we go, then?"

He sighed. It didn't seem she would take no for an answer. He guessed a ride wouldn't hurt; if there was a ball going on, that's where the most people would be. Maybe he could ask around about Xehanort and the Unversed there.

"Alright," he relented.

"Thank you… um..." she seemed to be fishing for something. It took him a moment to realize it was probably his name.

"Terra."

"Terra. What a lovely name," she smiled without a trace of mockery. He was just grateful she didn't tease him about having a girl's name.

"Thanks," he replied, not really sure how to take it. "What's yours?"

"Cinderella."

Oh. Well, if he had a name like that, maybe he wouldn't make fun of anyone else either. _Stop being a jerk, it's a fine name,_ he mentally shook himself.

"Nice to meet you, Cinderella." He finally managed to complete a full sentence without saying _uh._ He would've fist-pumped, but that probably would've been excessive. Also, this was his first real greeting with someone from another world who didn't either tempt him to do evil or run away screaming. Was he supposed to do anything else? Shake her hand or something? He shouldn't have dozed during the Master's lessons on otherworld cultures…

"Likewise. Now, we really should be going! We'll be ever so late at this rate, but I do believe we can make it." She stepped towards the carriage, then paused, as if waiting for something. She glanced at him. Maybe he had forgotten part of the greeting? Whatever it was, she soon shook it off and stepped carefully into the carriage. He climbed in after her, and the horses took off at a gallop. He had to dig his fingers into the seat cushion to keep from being flung back. Cinderella, on the other hand, took the bumpy, jarring road in stride.

"I really can't thank you enough, Terra," she said as they rode. "Those monsters would have attacked me for sure if you hadn't been there."

"Wha- you mean you noticed them?"

She giggled. "Not at first, but it would have been difficult to miss your battle cries."

His face suddenly heated again. How could he have been so careless? He had used his keyblade and magic right in front of her - well, behind her. Unless this world was full of people like the fairy from earlier, she had to know he wasn't from around here. Actually, she had hardly reacted to that either, so maybe magic really _was_ normal around here.

"No need to be embarrassed. I assure you they were quite manly."

What - that had definitely not been what he was worried about! He knew he sounded manly. ...Except when he made a complete stammering fool of himself in front of her…

"Why didn't you run away, then?" He asked.

"From your manly battle cries?" She raised her eyebrows.

"No!" The grave he was digging for his pride just kept getting deeper and deeper. "The monsters, I mean."

Suddenly her smile softened to look of concern. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tease you, it's just been so long since I had another kind human to talk to, I'm terribly out of practice."

 _Another kind_ human _?_ What other sentient creatures lived on this world? ...Or had he just ended up alone with a schizophrenic?

"I would have ran from the monsters if I'd seen them earlier," she continued. "But I was so lost in myself, I didn't notice until you were already fighting them. And then you were so brave… I should have believed then. I'm sorry you've had to see me in such a dark place…"

"You don't have to apologize," Terra said, wincing as they flew over another bump in the dirt road. You never had those kinds of problems with a Keyblade Glider. "We all have moments where the darkness seems too strong to fight."

 _Some of us more than others,_ he thought with a sigh. He didn't realize that sigh had been out loud until Cinderella placed a hand on his knee.

"You seem like someone who has a lot of experience fighting," she said quietly. "Has something been troubling you?"

Why would she ask that? She barely knew him. Then again, that had basically been the first words he'd said to her - but she had been sobbing uncontrollably, so it had been pretty obvious.

"It's nothing." He shook his head. His problems belonged to him, nobody else. No need to spoil Cinderella's magical ball with his self-doubt.

"I'm sure you thought a torn dress and missing a ball were 'nothing,' too," she smiled, and he might have detected a hint of wryness in it.

He hated it, but he was sure his face reddened in embarrassment. "...I wouldn't have said that." Even if he had thought it.

"It's alright. They are quite small things, really. It was more of what they represented to me - the dream of being free. But enough about me! I've already burdened you enough with my sorrows. Is there any way that I can help you?"

Terra's first instinct was to say no. He was supposed to be the strong one, the one who helped, not the one who needed help. However, the sincerity in her eyes, the light that shone through them, made him wonder if the best way to help her might be to allow her to help him.

"You might," he decided. "Have you met a man named Xehanort? Or do you know anything about those monsters that attacked us?"

Those didn't seem to be the type of questions she was expecting. Her brow furrowed as she replied, "That name doesn't sound familiar, though I wouldn't expect it to. My stepmother keeps me inside unless she needs me to run an errand. As for those monsters, I've seen a few on the edge of the forest before, but never as many as those you fought."

"Really," he replied thoughtfully. Had he attracted the creatures somehow? "Did they ever attack you before?"

"Hmm… no, strangely they didn't." She frowned. "I only saw them a few times, so I could be wrong, but they seemed almost _curious."_

 _Curious?_ The Master had told him that the Unversed were "fledgling emotions," but did that mean that they could actually feel those emotions? It was hard to wrap his head around. Maybe it was simpler than that - Master Eraqus had also said they fed on negativity. As a Princess of Heart, Cinderella probably didn't have much, if any, of that to feed on.

That could also explain why the Unversed seemed so attracted to him lately…

"I was likely just imagining things," she sighed when Terra didn't reply.

"I wouldn't be so sure," he said. "There's a lot I don't know about them yet."

The carriage shook again, probably bouncing over a larger rock this time. Rather than spending money on fancy balls, Terra wished this kingdom would pave their roads.

He realized the problem might be worse than a bumpy road when a mob of Floods slithered through the windows.

The carriage jerked to a halt; he heard the horses whinny in fright. Terra nearly flung forward at the sudden stop, but he summoned his keyblade and jammed it through the floor, holding himself in place.

"I've got this," he assured Cinderella, who had barely paused to gasp before crouching down as far as she could beneath the seat. Considering she was currently a puff of gauzy fabric and glitter, it wasn't working very well.

"Yes, I'm quite sure you do," she replied, concern barely tinging her voice. If it were anyone else, he would've thought she was trying to be sarcastic.

Well now wasn't the time to worry about that - he had Unversed to fight. Stabbing monsters was something he could handle - if only there was _room_ to stab them. He had to resort to shooting bursts of Fire through the windows to keep them out, being careful to avoid singeing Cinderella's probably-flammable dress. She would probably be more upset about that than about being mauled by monsters.

The few Floods that had made it into the carriage gave him a little more trouble. There wasn't enough room to swing his blade, and any magic would be dangerous in such close quarters. The blue monsters were lunging towards Cinderella; he had to think of something -

He slammed his fist into an Unversed's face. His hand sunk in a little, like its skin was little more than a cold tarp holding in a fluid substance. The blow didn't seem to do much damage, but he swore he could see shock in its glowing red eyes.

Then they narrowed angrily.

Terra barely managed to summon his armor before the Floods dove at him. Miraculously, his armored fists actually did damage, plunging through the Unversed's thin skins and destroying them in plumes of dark vapor. He panted slightly as the mist dissipated. Great as the keyblade was, there was something satisfying about just punching his problems in the face.

Cinderella stood and smoothed out her skirts. "Well, that was rather exciting."

Terra just stared at her. Again, that might have been sarcasm, but she was _smiling._ As if her life hadn't just been in peril for the second time tonight. _This girl needs to get her priorities straight._

"You weren't worried?" He asked, which only made her smile wider.

"Didn't you tell me it was important to stay strong?"

...Alright, she had him there.

After she stepped out to check on the horses, they were off again. The rest of the trip wasn't as exciting; mostly Cinderella asked him questions about his armor, which he figured he was allowed to answer. At least he hadn't shown off his glider.

She gasped when they arrived at the Castle. "I've never seen it from this close before… it's beautiful."

Terra smiled. "You should see the castle I-" he cut himself off. What was he doing? About to tell her he lived in a castle? She would never believe his story about being a soldier from the other side of the kingdom at this rate.

"Hm?" She asked, but when he said "Nothing," she didn't press him. She did seem to be waiting for him to exit the carriage first, though, so he scrambled out the door.

She still looked at him strangely. What? Something about getting in and out of carriages… oh. He remembered now, from several of Aqua's old princess movies. The prince was supposed to help the princess get in and out. It made sense; if it was a pain for him to climb out, it must be even more of a struggle in a dress.

"Here." He took her by the arms and lifted her down, which made her giggle.

"Well, that works too…"

"What?" He frowned.

"Oh, nothing," she said, but she was still stifling a laugh. Other worlds and their crazy cultures…

At least there were more Unversed in the castle's courtyard. Fighting them was a welcome distraction from his embarrassment.

Once inside the castle, they followed the sounds of classical music and chattering voices towards the ballroom. How anyone had made it through the Unversed, he had no idea, until he saw a few castle guards stabbing at some Scrappers with long pikes. They roved in groups of three or four, taking out any Unversed that had made it through the doors. Whatever this ball was about, apparently it was important enough to hold in spite of the monstrous threat.

He had to stop himself from summoning his keyblade and helping the guards out. Cinderella was one thing; showing off his weapon to others here could be dangerous. "What is this ball for, anyway?" He asked her to distract himself as they continued towards the ballroom.

"Hm? Oh, I think it has to do with the prince, or something," she waved a hand, as if it weren't really important.

"You mean you were so excited to come, and you don't actually know what it's about?" Terra asked in surprise.

She laughed sheepishly. "I just know that 'every eligible maiden' is supposed to attend. It's the first excuse I've had in forever to leave the manor, to have one night for myself… It could have been a country hoedown rather than a ball and I still would have been thrilled."

"Fair enough." He'd felt similarly about leaving the Land of Departure. Even if his mission to locate Xehanort was less than successful at the moment, at least he was getting to see the worlds and use his keyblade for good.

 _Well, mostly for good…_ He hid a wince at his memory of Aurora. _No. That wasn't my fault; that was Maleficent._ He couldn't do anything for Aurora now; the most he could do was protect others like her. Like Cinderella.

Finally, they reached the ballroom. If she had been impressed by the castle's exterior, the light in her blue eyes doubled at the sight of the well-dressed men and women inside. Well, well-dressed for this world, he guessed. The women looked like a rainbow of puffballs in their poofy dresses. The men were a little better, in stiff uniforms or tailcoats.

Terra stopped at the door. When Cinderella glanced back at him in confusion, he simply bowed and gestured for her to go on.

"You… aren't coming?" She asked.

"I did tell you that I don't know my way around a ball," he replied. Besides, his spiky hair and wide pants would stand out like a syrup stain on one of Ven's jackets.

"Nonsense," she laughed. "Why, you just gave me the most gentlemanly bow. Surely a knight like yourself has been to a ball before."

"A knight?" Well, a knight was probably more similar to a keyblade wielder than a soldier. That would have been a better cover story. "Uh, sure. But I still haven't been to a ball before."

"As I said before, that makes both of us." She paused, as if expecting him to agree. When he didn't, she continued with an expression that reminded him of Ven's when Terra ate the last cookie. "Please forgive me for my assumptions, Terra. It was kind of you to accompany me this far. It means so much to me."

Was she doing that on purpose? Making the guilt squirm in his chest? She turned and daintily held her skirts as she walked into the ballroom.

He should have let her go. Let her find some other man to talk to, someone from her world, someone who could continue to be her friend after he was gone. She was kind and friendly, if a little strange; she would have no trouble mingling.

He wasn't sure what possessed him to call out, "Wait." She turned with a hint of hope in her eyes. "There might be Unversed in there. I should at least make sure it's safe."

She blinked. Then that wonderful smile spread across her face. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

In spite of himself, Terra grinned. Whether there were more Unversed to fight or not, he realized he might enjoy this ball.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I've never really written Terrella before in spite of it being one of my favorite KH pairings, so I'd appreciate any reviews to let me know what you think!**


	2. Dancing

**A/N: There's a lot of risk-taking involved in this story. I mean, I'm not known for writing common ships, but the combination of Terra/Cinderella and Vanitas/Aqua both in one place is probably a bit out there even for me. So if you read the first chapter and then stuck around for another, thanks! It means a lot that anyone would give this fic a chance! If you were hoping for more Terrella right away though, sorry; it will probably alternate about every other chapter, but might lean more towards Van/Aqua.**

 **Acknowledgements I forgot from the first chapter: Raberba girl is the one who first got me thinking about Terrella if I remember correctly, and talking with GuiltyKingOmashu helped me pin down some of Terra's character. Thanks! Also a big thanks to everyone who's reviewed so already, you guys are great!**

 _Of course_ she was heading straight for the glittery castle. She was a light-cursed _girl,_ where else would she go? Vanitas growled softly as he trailed her through the starlit courtyard. The light from that other stupid girl had done its job well; Aqua didn't notice the specter who followed her as surely as her own shadow. Still, it would have been so much easier if she'd chosen the path towards the forest. How was he supposed to ambush her if she went into that stupid party? Light or no light, he couldn't exactly sneak in in his suit and helmet.

 _Wait… maybe I don't have to._

He skirted ahead of Aqua while keeping to the courtyard walls. After sending a few mobs of Unversed ahead for a distraction, he slunk in the tall doors and through the bright hallways. He stood out against the carpet like the stain he was. Ugh. If he did cross paths with any of the guards, they wouldn't be able to miss him. His Unversed better do a good job.

Unfortunately, he did need to run into at least one guard. Preferably a short one.

He peeked around a corner to see three guards dashing in the direction of his hallway. Ducking back with a mental curse, he took a gamble and flung open one of the doors - or tried to, anyway. Locked. He barely managed to bring his keyblade up and open it with a beam of purple light in time.

Inside was pleasantly dark. Even his keen eyes needed a _little_ light to see, though, so he summoned a hovering orb of Fire.

The tiny space felt more like a mousehole than a room. The disorderly piles of serving trays, cleaning rags, and sewing supplies only heightened the feeling. What was this place? Some kind of crawl space for castle servants? He didn't really care. He was about to peek back out when he realized this place might actually be useful. If there were needles, thread, and fabric around, maybe there were some clothes, too.

He stepped over a mop bucket, pushed a chair out of his way, and knelt down by a pile of fabric. Sure enough, he was able to dig out a pair of trousers and some kind of fancy jacket. Both were a disgusting shade of green, unfortunately. He rummaged some more until he came up with a red set.

"Better." He nodded. Changing out of his suit would be bad enough without looking like a Christmas tree threw up on him. He groaned when he realized something was still wrong, though - while they were close enough to his size, the jacket had a ripped seam along one sleeve, and the pants were missing a button. Probably why they were in the servant's room in the first place.

He snapped his fingers and summoned a few Floods. "Alright, idiots, listen up. Aqua's going to be here any minute, so you better be fast. Needles and thread are over there." He threw the pants and jacket at them; the pants landed on one Flood's head. It twitched in irritation. Another glared at him, as if to say, _look, Boss, I don't have fingers. Get a Scrapper to do it._

"I didn't ask a Scrapper, I asked _you."_ He glared back. "I made you. I know you can do just fine without fingers."

The Flood rolled its head - the equivalent of rolling its eyes - but it picked up a needle and went to work. How they could figure out how to sew when Vanitas didn't actually know himself, he wasn't sure, but his Unversed had proven capable enough before. When they weren't bursting out of him unexpectedly, they actually made good minions.

He found a half-empty kettle of tea on the ground and warmed it on the fire while his Floods worked. By the time it was boiling, their little fingerless arms had clumsily stitched up the coat sleeve and attached a new button to the pants.

"Good." He gave them a nod of praise. That was all; any more and it would go to their tiny heads. He gulped down the scalding tea - only to cough half of it back out. Void, the stuff was disgusting! There had better be something inside the party to get the taste out of his mouth. Grimacing, he tossed the kettle aside and got down to business.

He was going to make this stupid ball a night to remember.

XXX

For all of Terra's teasing, Aqua wasn't such a girl "sometimes." She was a girl _all the time,_ thank you very much. So when she stumbled upon a majestic castle holding a ball on this of all nights, could anyone blame her for investigating?

In her defense, she _had_ protested a little, but the castle guards had been pretty insistent that "every eligible maiden" attend. While they hadn't outright forced her, once she entered the castle they took it for granted that she would head towards the ballroom, nevermind the fact that she had been fighting monsters minutes earlier and wasn't wearing a dress.

The ballroom looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. Tall pillars growing from the marble floor upheld a balcony that rimmed the room; below men and women conversed, though oddly only a few were dancing. It was too bad that Terra wasn't here. She had bribed him into learning to dance with her several years earlier, before his sense of manhood was too inflated for it. She wasn't sure she could dance with any of these men here, not when she stood out like mud tracked inside the castle's hallways.

What was she thinking? She wasn't here to dance. She was here to look for Terra and Ven. Shaking her head, she swept her eyes over the ballroom, but saw no one with distinctly spiky hair.

Well, she could ask around at the very least. This was one of the closest worlds to the Land of Departure; she couldn't imagine them passing it by. She was about to approach a group of ladies when a voice called out behind her.

"Madame, I don't believe I've been introduced to you yet."

"Huh?" She turned. A man in a militaristic cream uniform and red trousers stood with a pleasant smile on his face. "I'm sorry, was I supposed to check in somewhere?"

"Oh, no, not at all," he replied quickly. "It's simply been a goal of mine to greet those who have been so kind to attend this evening."

Kind? Whoever was throwing this ball was kind to let anyone and everyone enter. They had even provided food along one wall, she now noticed; it wouldn't hurt to grab some of that on her way out…

"I'm Aqua," she introduced herself. "If you've talked to everyone here, did you meet anyone named Terra or Ven?"

He rubbed his chin. "I can't say that I have. Are they friends of yours?"

She nodded. "They are. I guess it was silly of me to think they'd be here, though." Terra would probably eat his pants before doing something as girly as going to a ball. Oh well, it had been worth a shot. "I should be going."

"Didn't you just arrive?" The man asked. Aqua belatedly realized that in her haste to ask about Terra and Ven, she'd neglected to learn his name.

"Yes…" she sighed. "I'm sorry. I appreciate you coming to talk to me, really. What was your name?"

"Henri," he replied with a bow.

"It's nice to meet you, Henri. I hope you have a wonderful night." With that, she turned to leave - only to be called back yet again.

"Wait, Aqua. You don't hail from this kingdom, do you?"

She glanced down at her outfit. Maybe she should start buying a change of clothes as soon as she entered a new world. "It's pretty obvious, isn't it." She sighed. "I wasn't intending on attending the ball tonight or I would have…" Would have what? Just waved her keyblade and conjured a gown?

"Please, don't worry about that. I only ask because, well…" He glanced around, as if checking for eavesdroppers, but considering they were in a room full of people, she wasn't sure how useful that was. "It's sort of a long story, but my father is... rather insistent that I begin courting someone." He grimaced. "That sounds rather forward, doesn't it? What I meant is, I'm simply not ready for that yet, but I'll never hear the end of it if I don't at least try to mingle. Since you're from a different kingdom anyway, would you be willing to dance with me?"

Aqua blinked. That was… a rather strange request. Or rather, the reason behind it was rather strange. "What does being from this- from around here have to do with it?"

"Well… let's just say my father will be _very_ interested in anyone he thinks that I'm interested in. I wouldn't want him to be able to hunt down every maiden I dance with."

Strange as his reasoning was, he seemed sincere. Besides, why should she turn down a dance with no strings of unknown intentions attached?

"Alright," she replied, smiling a little. "I can make time for one dance."

XXX

Vanitas wanted to throw up.

Aqua was dancing with some loser, sending off enough light that he could taste it from all the way up on the balcony. How did the idiot do it? Vanitas had been pacing up here for a good five minutes, trying to decide how to lure Aqua away from the party. Unversed would have been his first choice, but that would be too obvious. This was a task that needed to be performed discreetly.

Maybe he was overthinking it. If that loser could just walk up to her and ask her to dance, then surely Vanitas could too.

The thought of dancing with her made him want to throw up too. It was the best idea he had, though. He couldn't risk waiting too long. Even if his spell would last, there was always the chance that Terra could show up. While Vanitas was confident he could take on both keyblade wielders at once, Xehanort would kill him if he hurt his vessel.

 _The sooner I get this over with, the better._

A few turning hallways and a flight of stairs took him to the ballroom entrance. He tugged on the collar of his buttoned jacket, which somehow seemed to choke him more than his tight suit. Now was the moment of truth. Would anyone notice him?

He stepped inside. Nothing exploded. No one screamed. In a strange irony to how exposed he felt without his mask, he was more invisible than he'd ever been before.

With a confident stride, he made his way through chatting and dancing couples in the direction he'd last seen Aqua. As he did, though, a table of appetizers and desserts caught his eye. He paused, torn between getting his mission over with, and stealing some deliciously unguarded food.

His watering mouth made the decision for him. After loading up his hands with tiny cakes and sandwiches, it was much easier to focus. He shoved them into his mouth one by one as he made his way to the center of the ballroom.

He wasn't the only one who was interested in Aqua, apparently. A whole crowd had gathered around her and the well-dressed loser.

"But who is she, Mother?" A girl with a pink dress and a feather sticking up a foot over her head asked.

"Do we know her?" Asked a different girl who looked just as disgusting. More disgusting, actually, because her dress was puke green.

"Well, the Prince certainly seems to," the first girl said.

 _Prince? That dancing idiot is in charge here?_ Of _course_ Aqua would have been able to attract the most important person in the room. Besides himself, of course. A growl rose in the back of his throat. How was he supposed to sneak her out of here when she'd attracted the attention of the whole ball?

His eyes flickered to the girls in the disgusting dresses, who were watching Aqua with envy. No wonder the prince wanted to dance with her if girls like this were his other option.

That gave him an idea.

"Hey, you." He pointed to the girl in the pink dress, who jumped in surprise. "What's your name?"

"Who are _you?"_ She asked, searching him with her eyes. He resisted the urge to cringe at what might have been his first case of eye contact ever, and instead stared right back at her.

"I'm a guy who can get you a dance with the prince."

That was all he needed to say. The girl nearly fell over herself to tell him her name, Anastasia. A much prettier name than the face it was attached to. Her green-dressed sister gaped as he led Anastasia into the empty circle of floor where Aqua and the prince were dancing.

"I'll take care of the girl. You just be ready to take her place with the prince," he instructed Anastasia.

"Oh, I was _born_ ready," she gushed breathily. Ugh. If he had been anyone else, he would've felt guilty for dumping this idiot on anyone. But he was Vanitas, so he didn't.

Forget Anastasia; Aqua was the only one who mattered now. He was confident in his cloaking spell, but if there would be anyone who could somehow see through it, it would be her. He resisted the urge to tug on his collar, took a deep breath, and slipped in between the dancing partners.

His fingers twined tightly with Aqua's; his other hand found her waist. It was so quick that she barely had time to gasp at the switch. His head spun at her light-filled scent; he nearly tripped as he twirled her away from the prince. He vaguely saw Anastasia pounce on the man like a hungry piranha.

"Wh-where did you come from?" Aqua sputtered. In spite of her shock, she kept her waltz in perfect time, which was more than he could say for himself. For all his grace and speed on the battlefield, he didn't know a thing about dancing. Thankfully this particular song didn't call for anything fancy; he watched her feet and mimicked the motions.

He shrugged with a smirk and called upon the narrative he had invented for himself. "Same as you, I'd suspect. Not around here." For all the confidence he projected, his half-heart was racing. Aside from when he stole light from the Princesses of Heart, the only time he'd been this close to someone was in combat. And that someone was usually Xehanort. Xehanort didn't smell intoxicatingly of honeysuckle and cold rain, Aqua's particular flavor of light. Though it wasn't as strong as the Princesses of Heart, it was crisp and sharp, like it could cut through him without even trying.

Aqua looked startled that he had recognized her foreignness so easily, but he didn't know why. She hadn't even bothered to don a disguise. All the better for him; seeing her in one of those hideous dresses might have made him decide to kill her too soon.

"Well, thank you," she said, shocking him. "All that attention was starting to make me uncomfortable."

He lifted his eyes from their feet to glance around. Though some clusters of people still looked interested in them, most had remained focused on the prince and his new graceless dance partner.

"If you're not looking for attention, then why were you dancing with the prince?" He asked suspiciously.

Her eyes widened. "That was the _prince?_ It all makes so much more sense now… I thought they were just staring because I'm dressed… well, not in a dress."

That was still probably a part of it. Prince or no prince, Aqua would likely draw stares no matter where she went. "And thank the- thank the _light_ for that," he muttered, nearly choking on the word. "I don't know a thing about fashion, but even I could tell you all those dresses deserve to be set on fire." He snorted. "So you didn't know he was the prince, huh? Then how did he get you to dance with him?"

"It was a favor," she replied, then blushed. "That sounds arrogant. He asked me because I'm from out of town, that's all."

 _And you said yes? Why?_ Because she was a girl and would just dance with anyone, probably. After all, she was dancing with him without any complaint.

"I wasn't planning on staying long, though. In fact, I should be going…"

Well, almost no complaint. He frowned dangerously. Which, of course, she could see now that he wasn't wearing his mask. Void, this was harder than he'd thought. Too bad he couldn't just kill all these people and be done with it.

"Please," he said, channeling his inner (well, outer) Ventus. It didn't work, because the word burned his throat on the way out. "I could use a favor more than that id- prince," he caught himself.

"Well… alright. Since you did get me out of there." She smiled a little. It was surreal, being on the other end of that expression.

 _She has no idea,_ he realized in relief. His cloaking spell was working better than he'd thought.

"I'm Aqua, by the way," she introduced herself as they waltzed, slowly drifting towards the less-populated side of the ballroom.

He barely stopped himself from saying _"I know."_ He couldn't get so complacent; the draw of her light was still clouding his judgement. How long would it take his nose to get used to it? Maybe he could take a little extra time to find out.

"What's your name?" She asked when he didn't offer it in return.

He cursed mentally. In his invented reason for being at the ball, he hadn't thought to include a fake name. How had that obvious fact escaped him?

He realized something that almost make him laugh aloud: he didn't need a pseudonym. Aqua didn't know his real name - and she wasn't going to live long enough to find out.

"Vanitas," he answered with a smirk.

"Vanitas," she echoed, somehow managing to make his name sound _melodious._ It was the most bizarre thing he'd ever heard. "Doesn't that mean 'emptiness' in…?"

"Yeah," he replied curtly. Of course she'd know her Latin. "Not my pick, but it fits."

No, if he had _his_ pick, he'd still be Ven, and the idiot running around with his face would've been stuck with the new name. But he'd worn it long enough now to get attached to it.

"...Do you mind if I ask why?"

His fingers constricted around her hand. "Yeah. I do."

"I'm sorry." He could feel her palm begin to sweat. He couldn't scare her off now, not until he could find an excuse for them to move outside. With the party in full swing, the courtyard was sure to be empty now.

"Whatever," he mumbled. Talking about himself would only lead to uncomfortable situations; he needed to keep the conversation about her. While also avoiding insulting her or being an all-around jerk.

Let it never be said that he backed down from a challenge.

"Why did you come to this st- party anyway?" He asked. His collar itched, but he couldn't risk letting go of Aqua to tug on it. The second he moved away, he was afraid she'd somehow manage to slip away, and then he'd have to track her down to some other backwater world.

"I was looking for some friends of mine," she answered. "But, I was also told that 'every eligible maiden' was supposed to come. The guards were… rather insistent."

"Huh." He had a hard time imagining anyone forcing Aqua into anything. He'd spied on her enough times to know how stubborn she was, seen her argue with that bullheaded Terra more than he could count. How those two were even friends always confused him. "You find who you were looking for?" He tried to keep his voice casual.

"No, unfortunately." She sighed.

 _Fortunately for me,_ Vanitas thought.

"I know one of them is avoiding me. Possibly even both of them," she said for some unfathomable reason. Did he look like he cared about her life problems? ...Well, he _had_ asked. See, this was why there was no point in being nice. Then people just thought you wanted to hear them spill their guts.

"Sounds like they're not very good friends then," he replied bluntly.

After all, they weren't. Terra took her for granted and was jealous of her; Ventus thought she was controlling and overbearing. That was how Vanitas interpreted their actions, anyway. They didn't deserve Aqua; he'd known that much for a long time.

That's why it would be so satisfying to make them lose her.

"That's not true," Aqua countered. Of course she would defend them, no matter how many times she got stepped on. "They're both just going through some difficult times right now. I know they'll come around. I just hope I can keep them safe until then… But, you've heard enough about me. What about you? What brought you to this 'stupid party'?"

He blinked at the knowing smile on her lips. So she'd caught that, had she? He was going to have to up his game - or try a different approach. He snorted. "Same as you, actually. Just looking for someone."

"Oh? Did you find them?"

"...Yeah," he replied, a smirk tugging on his own lips. The best lies were the ones that held some truth.

He lifted his eyes from his shuffling feet to catch her gaze for a moment before needing to focus again. The one-two-three gliding motion was almost starting to feel natural when the tempo of the orchestra shifted. He groaned as her movements sped up to match.

"You don't have much experience with dancing, do you?" She laughed, pulling him along.

"No," he deadpanned. "Dancing is-"

He bit his tongue, but she got the idea. Her eyebrows rose. "Let me guess: stupid?"

"Am I that predictable?" He muttered. He hadn't realized he'd said that out loud until he caught her stifling a laugh.

"You're certainly interesting, Vanitas." She fell into a back-and-forth swaying pattern that didn't match the music as well, but didn't tangle his feet. Thank the Void for that, the last thing he needed was to trip and fall on his face when he didn't have his helmet on. "If you don't like dancing, then why were you so eager to dance with me?"

Curse him and his loose tongue. It was his first time talking to anyone but Xehanort or his Unversed, but that was no reason for him to be so careless.

He looked up. Without the distraction of the complicated waltz, he was finally able to hold her gaze for the first time. Her eyes were so blue, the kind of blue his used to be. The chandelier's light danced in them, but for the moment, paired with her sharp smell, he thought it was her own light seeping out.

"Because you're beautiful,"he said simply. Strangely enough, those words didn't stick in his throat. They tumbled out easily, despite a Hareraiser of embarrassment threatening to escape with them. Why should he be embarrassed, though? It was the perfect lie.

After all, the best lie was the one that was true.

A blush spread over her face. "Thank you…?"

Why did she look so awkward? He finally said something nice for once in his life, and she looked ready to run again. Girls made absolutely no sense.

"That wasn't a compliment. That was a fact." He shrugged, feeling his own face heat in spite of himself. At least the Unversed wasn't trying to burst free anymore.

She dodged his gaze, but said the last thing he ever expected her to utter. "Um, well… you're rather handsome yourself."

The ballroom could've exploded right then and he wouldn't have noticed. He stopped swaying. Blinked. Opened his mouth, and closed it again. "... _What?"_

She raised her eyebrows. Something twinkled in her eyes; he was sure it wasn't a reflection this time. "That's just a fact, you know."

...Was she teasing him? Or worse: was she _flirting_ with him? Sure, he'd been confident he could get her to dance with him, but this… he needed to end this, quickly. Before the thrill stealthily rising inside him and her intoxicating smell wiped out his better judgement entirely.

"...Of course I know." He let go of her waist to tug on his collar. Stupid scratchy embroidery. "Now that we both know we're attractive, how about we ditch the stupid dancing and get some fresh air?"

"Um, I-"

He didn't give her much choice. He dragged her by the hand towards a side door of the ballroom, grabbing a tiny cake off the refreshment table as they sped past. Right as the slipped through the door, he thought he saw a certain brunette keyblade wielder enter the room, with - who the heck was that? The sparkles on her dress threatened to blind him.

 _That was close,_ he thought as he shoved the cake in his mouth.

A few moments later they stood on a balcony overlooking a sprawling garden, lit by a near-full moon. The crisp night air cleared the fog shadowing his brain. What was he doing? He was here to kill Aqua, not court her! Xehanort's orders were clear: Aqua had no place in their plans. They had planned to ignore her, until she surprised Xehanort by passing her Mark of Mastery. He didn't know why the old geezer had been surprised; Vanitas knew Aqua had more brains going for her than Ventus and Terra put together, and her magical skills were nothing short of impressive.

Clearly, she was a threat. A threat that stood next to him, leaning against the balcony, still holding his hand.

 _Get over yourself. If she knew who you really are, the only way she'd get this close to you would be to slit your throat._

That was a lie - and not the true kind. She'd send a Triple Firaga his way, so she wouldn't even have to get that close.

He mentally cursed when she looked towards him with concern in her eyes. Ditching the mask had seemed like such a good idea at the time, but now…

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

Deja vu punched him in the face. Had he not heard that same question only a few hours ago, only to realize no one would ever say it to him? Stupid as it sounded, the three-word sentence warmed the void of his heart.

Even if this was all a lie, even if it could never last, he was going to clutch it until it was ripped from his fingers.

"I'm-" he turned away and sniffed, "fine."

Wow. _That_ was convincing. What in the Void was he doing? He didn't cry - not anymore. He just had to remind his body of that.

"Vanitas," Aqua said softly, placing her free hand on his shoulder, "I don't know why you really came here, or why you wanted to dance with me, or what you're going through… but is there any way I can help?"

 _Yeah. You can die. Or you can stand back and watch while the old geezer and I possess your friends. Take your pick._

"No." The tears dried up before they could form. He was surprised no Floods had tried to leak out; maybe stealing that girl's light had suppressed his disobedient emotions. If so, it was a welcome side-effect.

"Are you sure?" She asked sincerely.

That was when he thought of something - something his pride barely allowed him to think. Something he would barely admit to himself. Something he wanted more than almost anything.

"Actually…" He choked out the words, "Can I… can I have a hug?"

He was pathetic. Completely, utterly pathetic. At least he had the dignity not to make puppy eyes like Ventus would have. ...Even if his would've been way better.

She blinked at his request, but her surprise didn't last long. "Of course." Leave it to Aqua to feel comfortable hugging a complete stranger.

She let go of his hand to wrap her arms around him. He hadn't thought this through - her scent was everywhere, flowers and rain and everything pure and burning and searing and beautiful and _painful._ But pain, that was something he was used to. The feeling layered beneath it, though… _that_ was something new. Something warm, but not in a way that burned; something that filled him, but not with hate or rage.

It felt exactly how he imagined reuniting with Ventus would feel.

He finally remembered to put his arms around her too. Then, fearing she would let go, he held her as tightly as he could, fingers digging into the back of her shirt.

 _A real person,_ he thought deliriously. _A real person is actually hugging me. And I have to kill her._

The thought just made him cling tighter. He had to be crushing her lungs by now, or she was stronger than he thought. She let go with one arm, but before he could panic, her fingers were combing the haphazard spikes of his hair.

 _I'm not your freaking pet,_ he mentally protested, but the words wouldn't find their way to his lips. The small gesture was something he'd seen her do to Ventus. He'd always vaguely wondered how it would feel to be in his other half's place, surrounded by friends who cared about him. Maybe Aqua had finally given him a taste.

 _I can't do this. I'm a heart of darkness, for Void's sake. I can't let her light get to me…_

Now would be a perfect time. She wouldn't be expecting a thing. Just cast Stop, and then shoot a bolt of Dark Thundaga through her heart. She wouldn't even know what hit her.

She would die comforting him, over a curse she didn't even understand.

"Vanitas, are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" She asked, still running her fingers gently through his hair.

"I'm sure," he mumbled into her shoulder. "But Aqua… thank you."

They were the last words he ever expected to leave his mouth. Even worse was the fact that he actually meant them.

She smiled. He couldn't see it; he face was still pressed against her shoulder. Instead, he felt it grace the top of his head. "Thank _you._ For trusting me, even though we only just met. For letting me help you."

Heh… she had no idea.

Feeling as if he were peeling off his own skin, he pulled back from her. He was only delaying the inevitable, he knew, but there was something he wanted to ask her while he still could.

"Aqua… _why_ did you want to help me? Why are you being so nice to me?"

She frowned slightly. The moon cast long shadows across her face, making the frown look deeper than it actually was. "Is there a reason I shouldn't be?"

 _Yeah. About a million of them._ "Don't answer my question with another question."

She stared out over the garden, thinking. "Then I suppose I'd say… because I wanted to get to know you. Someone who has a name that means emptiness, and with eyes as sad as yours… You seemed like someone who could use a little extra light in your day."

 _Sad?_ Once again, his face betrayed him. As soon as he was done here, he was shoving his helmet on and never taking it off again.

"Huh," he grunted. It wasn't much of a reason. It sounded like she wasn't even expecting to get anything out of their meeting. It was so… selfless. He could hardly comprehend it. "And here I thought it might just be because I was handsome."

She laughed, but the moonlight caught her blush. "You certainly seem to think highly of yourself."

 _Says the one who said it first._ "Figure I might as well. I don't expect anyone else to do it for me." It came out more depressing than he meant it, but he was tired of the pity party. "Come on, I've had enough of the view from here. Let's go for a walk."

He turned without waiting to see if she wanted to follow.

 _One last chance,_ he thought. _It'll be safer down in the garden, anyway. Less chance of witnesses._

After all, no matter how much his suddenly bipolar heart protested, it would come down to his life or hers. And he wasn't nearly as selfless.

 **A/N: I hope this didn't escalate too fast, this is a bit different style than how I've written Van/Aqua before, and I hope it doesn't come off as too OOC. Next chapter will be some more Terra's POV and then maybe Aqua too**

 **Also, if you like Van/Aqua, there's a poll you can vote on in my profile for what project I should work on next. (Not that the Terra/Cinderella and Van/Aqua option on there is this story, so if you vote for that I'll consider it to mean updating this one faster.)**


	3. Wishing

**A/N: Finally back with more of this story! :D This chapter took a while, but I'm happy with how it turned out!**

The ball was a blur of dresses and dancing, talking and twirling, all wrapped in a surreal haze. Terra hadn't seen so many people since leaving his homeworld to train under Master Eraqus. He had only been ten then, a carefree and outgoing child. If his path hadn't taken a sharply unexpected turn, maybe he would have grown into someone who felt comfortable in a place like this, mingling with well-dressed strangers. Well, maybe not the well-dressed part. Fashion never would've been part of his skillset no matter what world he grew up on. As it was, though, the crowd made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. So many people in one place, with only a few routes of exit. His eyes flitted to those exits every few minutes, as if to make sure they wouldn't suddenly disappear. Best to be prepared in case any Unversed did decide to crash the party.

"Did you spot those monsters again?" Cinderella asked with a hint of worry, though it didn't interrupt the pace of her waltzing.

He shook his head, clenching his hand that hovered by her waist into a fist. It had been cupped ready to summon a keyblade. "Sorry. Just staying on guard."

"No need to apologize, Terra." She smiled. "I suppose that's to be expected from a knight."

He stifled a sigh. It was doubtful that anything would convince her that he was no knight in shining armor, and he couldn't make the argument without exposing himself to deeper questions.

In time with the orchestra, he gracefully twirled her out and in again. Who would have guessed Aqua's forced ballroom dance lessons would pay off? He wasn't half bad, he liked to think; waltzing was just like a shorter, more controlled version of his Slide command.

Cinderella smoothed her skirts with one hand while keeping hold of his with her other. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you learn to dance without ever attending a ball?"

"A good friend of mine taught me," he was relieved to be able to answer honestly. "She would love this place."

"You mean she didn't come?" Cinderella frowned. "But every eligible maiden was supposed to attend."

"Well, uh…" _Here we go again._ Much as he enjoyed this time with Cinderella, he should find an excuse to leave soon, before she managed to sneak out all of his secrets. "She had to stay home. She had some, uh, important stuff to do."

"That's too bad," she said, seeming to take his answer at face value.

It was, really. He and Aqua had always wanted to explore the worlds together. He had assumed that would happen when they were both masters. How was it that he had ended up here, while she was still back in the Land of Departure? Shouldn't Master Eraqus have sent them both on a mission this important?

Then again, if the Master had, then Terra certainly wouldn't be dancing here with a beautiful woman in his arms.

"What about your stepsisters?" He asked, changing the subject away from Aqua. "Are they here, if every girl was supposed to come?"

"Yes, they left for the ball before you came," she said with a brief flash of worry. "It's quite crowded, however. I doubt they will notice us."

 _What would happen if they did?_ Terra wondered. He hadn't pressed Cinderella for details, but her family had clearly torn her original clothes apart, and possibly injured her as well. They obviously didn't want her to be here.

He did another survey of the ballroom. When he focused on the other ballgoers' faces rather than the room's exits, he realized just how many stares they were drawing. Whether it was his own conspicuous clothing, or Cinderella's magical gown, he had no way of telling.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," he murmured, rotating their waltz so she could see the faces that he had. "Do you recognize any of these people?"

She gasped, pulling closer to him. If it wasn't for the poofiness of her skirts, she could have hidden in his silhouette. "Drizella and my stepmother. I don't believe they were looking this way."

Terra's instincts told him to get Cinderella out of there anyway. As much as he wanted to sweep her towards one of the exits, she might not appreciate him making the decision to cut her magical experience short. Besides, what could her family do in public?

 _Force me to remove her heart?_ While the thought had originally come to mind as a joke, it made him wince. This night had been going entirely too well, with no evil forces trying to use him for their purposes. He was jumping to conclusions, he knew, but he still didn't want to take chances.

"Should we go?" He asked Cinderella in a whisper.

She looked torn, trying to glance at the two women lingering in the crowd behind him. He snuck a glance over his shoulder to make sure he could identify them. One older woman in a purple dress, and a younger one in green. True to Cinderella's word, they did seem to have their backs to them, their focus turned towards something on the other side of the ballroom.

"Where's Anastasia?" Cinderella asked, more to herself than him.

"Cinderella," he called back her attention. He hadn't wanted to interrupt her wonderful night with unpleasant thoughts, but he needed to know what they were dealing with. "I saw what you looked like before that fairy lady showed up. What did your stepfamily do to you? Will they hurt you if they find you here?"

Cinderella winced. Suddenly in her face he could see the shadow of the girl who had been kneeling alone in the night, crying and broken. "They… don't hurt me. Not physically, at least."

Terra didn't find that very reassuring. "What do they do?"

"They make me work harder, mostly. They give me more arduous chores, and they say… rather unpleasant things. But it could be far worse."

"Things can always be worse. That doesn't make it okay for them to treat you badly." He was surprised by the anger in his voice. He didn't even know her stepfamily. All he knew was that Cinderella's heart was filled with light; anyone who would try to take advantage of that was undeserving of his respect.

She looked away. "...Perhaps you're right. I have learned to endure it, though."

Terra shook his head. If he'd been in her situation, he would've fought his way free. Then again, he had a few inches and about a hundred pounds on her, not to mention a keyblade. What was a girl like her supposed to do?

"No point in you having to endure anything more tonight. We should go," he urged her.

"I… suppose you're right." She sighed.

Careful to keep himself between her and the women, just in case they turned around, Terra made for the western exit. Along the way he passed a refreshment table that looked like it had been ransacked. Feeling slightly guilty, he took a moment to sweep some tiny sandwiches up in a napkin and stuff them in his pocket. If Aqua knew how little preparation he'd taken before leaving the Land of Departure, she would have given him a good scolding. His meager stash of food had run out the day before, and while he had money from defeating Unversed, he'd yet to find a market in the previous two worlds he'd visited. At least this world was inhabited by more than dwarves and witches, so that was promising.

He shook his head, taking longer strides to catch up to Cinderella. His stomach was hardly the most pressing issue at the moment.

They emerged onto a balcony that sprawled over a starlit garden. Fountains gurgled as they reflected the pinprick lights of other worlds.

 _All those places I can escape to, and yet she's stuck here…_ If he needed further proof that life wasn't fair, this was enough.

"I think we'll be safe from them out here," he said. "Wouldn't want you to have to go all the way home when it's only…" He glanced up at the clocktower that loomed in the distance, "eleven o'clock at night." Later than he'd thought. How had the time slipped away so quickly?

Cinderella beamed. "One more hour of wonder. Oh, thank you, Terra. If my stepmother had seen me, she surely would have sent me home at once."

"To be honest," he replied a little sheepishly, "I'm not sure they would have recognized you."

"Oh, I don't know about that," she said while fingering her silk headband. "Surely a nice dress hasn't changed me so much."

"I wasn't just talking about the dress. I was talking about your strength." He smiled.

"My…?" She laughed. "Now you're just being silly."

"No, I mean it! You stayed completely calm when those Unversed attacked. That takes courage."

"I hid under a seat," she replied flatly.

"Which isn't panicking," he said with a shrug. "Plus you chose to come to this ball even knowing that your family would punish you if they found out. Have you ever done anything like this before?"

"Well… no," she admitted. He wasn't surprised; she just didn't look like someone who would disobey orders. Unless it was for a ball, apparently.

"Then that's courage." Not everyone could run keyblade-first into battle. He hadn't understood her unique kind of strength when he had first met her, but to be as kind as she was, after enduring what she had… Terra didn't know that he could've done it.

"Hmm… if you say so," she said with a slight smile. She thought he was just trying to flatter her, probably. Part of him did want to make up for underestimating her before, but what he'd said was true.

They walked down the length of the balcony, staring out over the grounds. No more Unversed, Terra noticed.

"Would you mind if we took a walk down there?" Cinderella asked.

"Sure," Terra agreed. It would be farther from her stepfamily, which was safer, as far as he was concerned. Maybe he shouldn't be so paranoid, but he couldn't help thinking that a little more caution would have served him on his last two worlds.

As they strolled down the steps towards the garden, he asked, "So, Cinderella. What do you do when you're not waltzing around a ballroom?"

She chuckled. "Clean one, usually. I'm a serving girl."

"And you got those calluses just from cleaning?" He asked. He'd felt the roughness in her hand as they'd danced.

"That, chopping wood, scrubbing clothes… My talents are rather varied," she said in a satisfied way that made the menial labor sound dignified.

"That sounds… well, not fun." He grimaced. It reminded him of his chores at the Land of Departure.

"It's not so bad." She shrugged as they passed a flowing fountain. Her reflection mingled with the starlight in the water. "I sing while I work, and I have some friends that help me from time to time."

 _Friends?_ Terra wondered. Hadn't she said something earlier about not often having friendly conversation with humans? He debated asking, then thought better of it.

"What about you? What is it like being a knight?"

"Ah. Right. Well…" He ruffled his hair. "It's a lot of training, mostly. Practicing with the k- sword, sparring with the other ap- knights. There's actually a lot of cleaning involved too."

"Really?" She asked with interest.

"Yeah. I know my way around a broom and mop." He smiled. "Getting to visit other wor- kingdoms, though, that makes it all worth it."

"I bet it does." She gave a happy sigh at the thought, sitting down on the edge of the fountain. Water droplets dotted her back, but she didn't seem to notice. "To see other kingdoms… oh, I can hardly imagine. It sounds wonderful."

"Have you ever been anywhere else?" Terra asked, sitting beside her. The fountain's spray actually felt comfortable on his back; he was still warm from the crowded ballroom.

She shook her head. "Not since I was young. My father used to take me with him on his visits to other cities, until he passed away. My stepmother would never let me do that now, even if she were to travel."

She stared up at the stars. The lights reflected in the blue of her eyes. Millions of worlds, and this was the closest she would ever be to them.

"I wish I could bring you with me," he found himself saying before he could think. What _was_ he thinking? He barely knew this girl! And it was absolutely forbidden to reveal the knowledge of other worlds, much less bring a person to one.

And yet, he found that he meant it. He wished he could show her the worlds, see the rapture on her face as she took them in. It was utter fantasy. The worlds weren't even safe, not with the Unversed still on the loose.

She looked to him with her lips parted in a silent gasp. "Is that something you could do?"

He winced. Bad enough for him to indulge in impossible thoughts; he didn't need to get her hopes up, too. "No. Knights travel alone, or with other knights. It would break every rule in the book for me to bring someone else along."

"Oh." Her head hung. "I believe in dreams coming true, but I suppose that would be a bit much, even for me." Then she turned a smile towards him. "Maybe I'll just have to become a knight myself someday."

It was clearly a joke, he could tell, but he played along. "Chopping wood isn't that much different from swinging a sword. You'd probably do just fine."

She laughed. "Maybe so, but I wouldn't be able to swing that sword at a person to save my life."

"Hey, we don't often have to fight people. Unversed, Heartless; those are our real enemies."

"Heartless?" She asked curiously. Him and his big mouth again. Well, it wasn't like Heartless were necessarily a secret.

"They're monsters, like the Unversed you've seen. They're made out of darkness though, while Unversed are said to be made out of emotions."

"Hmm. Well, I don't see anything wrong with fighting darkness." She smiled. The small expression could have lit up the entire night.

They settled into a comfortable silence, listening to the sound of the wind and the bubbling of water. For perhaps the first time since leaving the Land of Departure, Terra didn't even think about his mission. He thought about the wonder of the worlds, and how they would look through her eyes. Brighter, surely. No one would have convinced _her_ to try and steal someone's heart.

He didn't want to think about that now. So he didn't.

Following an impulse, he put an arm around Cinderella's back. He half expected her to be surprised, but instead she leaned in, resting her head against his shoulder. Part of him wondered what he was doing, why he was letting himself get this close to a girl he was certainly going to have to leave. But he supposed she would have to leave anyone that she met here. This was one night of magic for both of them.

And if she wanted to spend it with him, who was he to stop her?

XXX

It turned out that Vanitas's nose adjusted to the scent of light after approximately an hour. In that time he had slapped some sense back into himself. Sniffling and asking for hugs? Really? His pride would probably never recover. It was the lack of his helmet, he was sure; it was so easy to lose himself in this delusion when Aqua treated him like a normal person.

That didn't mean he wasn't enjoying it, he reluctantly admitted.

"Seven skips," he announced smugly, leaning against the post of the bridge. "Beat that, Aqua."

She laughed, picking up another smooth stone from the edge of the stream. "You don't know who you're dealing with, Vanitas. I've been skipping rocks practically since I was born."

"I've been skipping rocks for approximately ten minutes, and I'm still winning." He smirked. The ten-minutes part wasn't entirely true; he remembered skipping rocks with his dad, but that was before Ventus was split out of him. Those memories were full of holes and fragments. For some reason the farther back he went, the clearer they were; the few years spent training with Xehanort leading up to his accident were the hardest to remember.

"Not for long," she promised, tossing the rock up and down before launching it across the water with a sharp flick of her wrist. One skip, two, three, then four-five-six-seven-eight in quick succession. "There we go!"

Vanitas scowled. "Lucky hit."

Aqua chuckled. "I just had to warm up. It's been awhile since my friends and I made it out to the lake."

His skin prickled at her mention of her friends. He had managed to control his words over the last hour though, and held in a snide comment that a dead fish probably could've beaten those two at skipping rocks. Which also wasn't true, because Ventus presumably had all of Vanitas's skill, too.

The sour thought fueled a rather reckless throw. His rock broke the surface of the stream with a sad _plunk._

"Whatever," he grumbled. "Skipping rocks is stupid, anyway."

"Oh, now that you're losing, it's stupid?" Aqua teased, reaching out a hand like she wanted to ruffle his hair, then thought better of it. Good choice, because he would've had to bat it away anyway. He couldn't risk letting her touch him again, not after how irrationally emotional he had become last time.

The truth was, those emotions still hadn't burned themselves out, even though he had fortified his earlier facade. _Forget the witnesses, I should have just killed her at the start. When she still made me want to break things._

"I'm sorry if I offended you," Aqua said sincerely, stepping into the shallow water so she would be in front of his downcast eyes. Vanitas snorted. Offend him? He was the most offensive person in the worlds. True that that didn't mean he could take it the same way he could dish it out, but her remark had hardly crossed his mind. Maybe it would be best to pretend it had, though.

"Forget it," he brushed her off and bent down to pick up another round stone. _I could always just nail her with it. Pretend I missed._ He entertained the thought briefly before before sending the stone skipping across the stream's surface. "Seven again," he muttered. His dad would have been ashamed to see him get beaten by a girl. Not that it mattered, because he would never see him again.

"Seven's pretty good, for only ten minutes' worth of practice," encouraged Aqua. "You're a natural."

Vanitas stared at her in puzzlement. First she was gloating, then it was as if she wanted him to win? No, she was probably just patronizing him. He crushed the growl rising in his throat.

 _What does it matter how she talks to me? I'm just going to kill her anyway._

He snuck a glance at the clocktower that rose in the distance. Just past eleven thirty. He'd arrived at the ball around ten. Somehow, against his better judgement, he'd managed to waste an hour and a half tolerating Aqua's presence.

 _And she's wasted an hour and a half tolerating mine,_ he realized. That was the real shock. Cloaking spell or not, the darkness was in his veins, his personality, his very soul. What could she see in him to take a whole night she could use looking for her friends and instead spend it with him?

" _Eyes as sad as yours…"_

He shook his head. He was _not_ sad. Very soon he would be very, very happy. Just as soon as she was gone.

His brain thought the words, but his irregular heartbeat disagreed.

"Vanitas?" Aqua asked after finishing skipping a stone of her own. In the back of his mind he counted the ten ripples. _Ten._ That shouldn't even be possible. "We can do something else, if you want."

Surprisingly, she didn't ask if he was alright, even though his unmasked face broadcasted more of his conflict than he would've liked. Maybe she was smarter than he gave her credit for.

"Sure." He shrugged apathetically. The embroidery on his collar scratched his neck, making him regret the motion.

They started crossing the stream via the delicate arching bridge, but Aqua paused when they reached its center and tilted her head up. "Look at that."

"What?" He grumbled for the sake of it. He should keep his tone civil, he knew logically, especially since he could feel his cloaking spell beginning to fade. He still had time yet, but a flare of darkness could pierce it like his keyblade through a Shadow.

"The stars," she breathed with a smile. "They're so much different here…"

She stiffened, as if realizing she wasn't supposed to have said that. Vanitas ignored the motion and looked up himself, squinting.

Then his eyes widened. He had never looked at the night sky without his helmet on before. Was this world special, or were there always so many bright lights up there? They looked like the glowing eyes of thousands of Heartless. Only much less eerie. In spite of being a heart of pure darkness himself, there was something about the Heartless - Neoshadows in particular - that sent involuntary shivers down his spine. Lost memories from before the split, probably.

Aqua heard his slight gasp of awe. "Are the stars new to you, too?"

If she was trying to confirm him being an outworlder, she was going to have to try harder than that. "...You could say that." He had vague memories of staring up at the stars with his parents, but they were so fuzzy they could have belonged to someone else. _Do belong to someone else,_ he thought ironically. "I don't get out much," he mumbled finally.

"I suppose you could say the same thing about me," she said with a wry smile. "I recognize some of these constellations though, even though others look different tonight."

"Constellations," he tasted the word. Old and melodious. Something possessed him to say, "tell me about them."

She happily obliged. "See those three points? Along with the dimmer ones beneath, they make up the King's Crown."

He squinted harder, face scrunching in a way that he would've found undignified if he happened to glance down at his reflection in the water. "I see a bunch of dots. Are you saying they're supposed to make a picture or something?"

"Mm-hmm, that's what a constellation is," she explained without an ounce of sarcasm. The word's definition clicked in place, settling out of the debris of unlinked memories.

"Huh." He grunted, wishing he had some kind of magnification spell. His night vision was exceptional, but the stars… there were just so _many_ of them, they seemed to swim in his sight like a sea of sparks. "Show me another one."

She pointed up towards a curved line of five bright dots. "That's the Hydra's Back. I'm not sure why it's named that, rather than after one of the creature's many necks." He nodded, picking out that one with less difficulty. He guessed the curve looked a little snakelike, if you stretched your imagination. "Then there's the Cheshire's Grin…"

She described the arrangements of stars while he followed her pointing finger with his gaze. The names brought order to the chaos, made patterns out of the star ocean. It was surprisingly soothing, listening to her voice, watching images blossom in the sky. He swore she was actually using magic to highlight the constellations now, with the assumption that he wouldn't notice.

"If you look closely at those blue-tinted ones, you'll see that they look almost like a keyblade." She coughed, catching herself. "Key, I mean."

He nodded, accepting her lie, though it brought a smirk to his face to realize that she was having as hard a time choosing her words as he had. The stars had opened her up more than she had been before.

"You know a lot about those little lights," he remarked offhandedly.

"Stargazing is one of my favorite hobbies," she replied with a shrug, leaning into the bridge's railing. "My friends and I love to sit outside at night and imagine…"

He raised an eyebrow as she blushed. The expression prompted her to finish, "Imagine visiting all those far-off places. But that's silly, of course. Impossible."

"Of course." His smirk widened. If he had really been the innocent civilian he pretended, the words would have registered as idle fantasies. Her bluff wasn't bad; he just had the knowledge to see through it. "What did you think you'd find out there? Worlds made of rainbows and gumdrops?" He joked. _Bet that's what Ventus hoped. We always did like sweet food._

She blinked at the question, as if it hadn't crossed her mind. "I'm not sure, really… but I certainly didn't imagine this." That last part was barely a whisper, but Vanitas's ears were keen too. He couldn't help a chuckle.

"Surprised to find yourself chatting with a-" _heart of pure darkness?_ "-a grumpy man who thinks everything's stupid?" He forced himself to finish instead.

She laughed at that. While his nose had adjusted to her scent, that laugh still made him involuntarily shiver. Half of him wanted to punch her for the light-filled sound; the other half wanted to bottle it up and save it forever.

 _You light-blinded idiot. Soon you're going to kill her, and no one's ever going to hear that sound again._ He felt a spark of satisfaction that that meant Terra and Ventus would never again hear it. Vanitas would be the last one.

"You don't think everything's stupid," Aqua replied, jarring his thoughts.

"How would you know?" He scowled, which for some reason made her laugh again. He wasn't sure whether to feel pleased or insulted. Insulted was always a safe bet.

"Well, you've spent most of the evening with me." Her face was pointed towards the sky, but he caught her looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. "So I would be surprised if you were to decide that I'm stupid."

 _Oh, Aqua. You have no idea just how stupid you're being right now._ Then he thought, _But you're not the biggest idiot in the metaphorical room._

That title belonged to him. He was running out of time, and still he stood there, lounging against the railing, as close to the girl as he dared.

 _Void. Is this puberty?_ The sudden thought broke through. Xehanort had never mentioned the term, but it precipitated out of his memory of a joking comment his dad had made once. _No. It's just the light, like Ventus's. Must still be affecting me, even if I can't smell it anymore. Or she's so good at magic, she's using it on me without even realizing it._

Or while realizing it?

He glanced up at her face, wondering if he'd find any traces of craftiness there. He didn't. Just a confused smile. Oh; he'd never addressed her comment.

"You are stupid," he said. "You could've been in the ball, dancing with…" Anyone else, really. Anyone who wasn't out to kill her. But he hadn't exactly given her that choice, had he?

"Well, you didn't exactly give me a choice," she echoed his thoughts, albeit in a much more lighthearted voice. "But if you had, I still don't think it would've been stupid for me to choose to spend time with you. I've enjoyed tonight."

They were such simple words. To Vanitas, they were both an embrace and a dagger.

 _Well, at least she'll die happy._

It was time. The cloaking spell was fraying; it was only a matter of time before she caught wind of his darkness, especially at such close range. His fist clenched.

 _Sleep. Then Thundaga. It'll be painless._

 _Painless? Since when do I want it to be painless? I'd wanted to see her suffer. I could reveal who I am now, show her what an idiot she's been. She can die knowing she embraced the embodiment of darkness._

Somehow, the mere idea of revealing his identity sent a spike of fear through him. She couldn't know. Even for a second, he didn't want her to realize that this mask of friendship belonged to him.

 _She_ already _knows, idiot. You told her your name. It doesn't mean anything to her._

Suddenly she gasped, and her hand clasped around his, cutting him off before he could whisper the spell. "Vanitas, look! A shooting star!"

She pointed to the sky, and he looked up just in time to catch it. A streak of light, blazing across the sky like Firaga shot out of a keyblade. It burned itself out as quickly as it had appeared.

"Did you make a wish?" She asked.

"A wish?" He echoed, mind only halfway there. The other half was on his plan, and yet another half on his hand in hers. In the moment that faulty math didn't register.

"Yes; have you ever wished on a shooting star before?" When his blank face answered the question, she continued, "It might just be where I'm from, but when you see a shooting star, you're supposed to make a wish. It can be anything you want."

"Anything?" He asked. She grinned and nodded.

"Anything. But don't say it out loud, or it won't come true."

He wasn't worried about that. He was already sure his wish wouldn't come true.

Because in that moment, when she had said _anything,_ the first thing that had entered his mind was…

 _I wish I could keep you alive._

It was then that he knew for certain that he'd waited too long. He was weak. Pathetic. He had been looking forward to this moment for the past three days since Master Xehanort had revealed the plan, and he wanted to turn back now?

 _No. It's me or her. The old geezer made that clear enough._ Was it that simple though? Aqua may not be expressly necessary to their plans, but Vanitas was. The old Master couldn't get rid of him that easily.

 _But_ she _would,_ he knew. If he spared her now, she would find a way to be there when he merged with Ventus. And at that point, she would not show mercy.

"You're thinking pretty hard," she said with a squeeze of his palm. "Don't worry, it doesn't have to be a perfect wish or anything. It really is anything you want."

 _Hah. As if I know what I want._ Before now, it all had seemed to clear. What was she doing to him? He needed to get away, evaluate his emotions without her there pulling the strings. But there was no time for that; an opportunity like this wouldn't come again.

At that moment, two things happened. The clocktower released a deafening _GONG,_ and his light-cloaking spell unravelled. It took less than a second for the darkness-induced feeling of nausea to hit her.

"Vanitas, what…?" _GONG._ "Is everything-?"

"Everything's fine," he calmly replied over another _GONG._ "I made my wish."

 _GONG._

His hand rested on her face, the last touch he would allow himself. She didn't even flinch.

" _Sleep."_

 _GONG._ Her eyes rolled back; she slumped against him, hair tickling his cheek. She was heavier than he'd expected, and he staggered back, almost dropping her against the white planks of the bridge. Thankfully he didn't; that might have been enough of a shock to wake her up.

 _GONG._ He leaned her up against the railing and held out his palm as he waited for his Thundaga command to load. Her chest rose and fell evenly, unaware of the danger.

 _WRONG._ He jumped. No, that had just been another obnoxious gong; what had possessed him to replace it with a word?

 _WRONG,_ he heard again. His teeth grated against the noise. "Will you shut up?" He shouted.

 _WRONG._ The clock mocked him, fraying his already stretched patience. "I'm not wrong! I have to do this!" He needed to be whole again; that was the only thing that mattered. Aqua was nothing more than an obstacle to be removed.

 _WRONG._ He summoned his keyblade, though he knew attacking the clocktower from this distance was impossible. Maybe he'd just stab Aqua instead of using the spell. Even as he thought that, his arm wavered.

 _I've never killed anyone before. I thought it would be easier than this._

 _WRONG._ He lowered his keyblade, dragging the tip against the ground. _He_ was the loser who needed breaking in, not Ventus. How was he supposed to win the Keyblade War if he couldn't even kill a stupid girl?

 _WRONG._ Wait. Maybe he didn't need to. A thought flashed to mind, brought up by the memory of Ventus needing to be broken in. He was still weak, far weaker than Vanitas. Meanwhile, Aqua was a Master.

A plan began to form in his mind. A plan where he got to play with fire a little longer.

He flicked his wrist to open a dark corridor, then gathered the unconscious girl over his shoulder.

 _After all, it never hurts to have a backup._

 **A/N: Some of the parts with Aqua and Vanitas looking at the stars (particularly the bit about constellations) were inspired by Ejes's fanfic "Secret Place," which is a great one to check out if you enjoy Vanitas/Aqua!**

 **I've already started on the next chapter, so the next gap shouldn't be too long.**

 **I realized I currently have two different cliffhangers going on two different fanfics with an unconscious Aqua at the same time xD I put her through the worst stuff... ^^;;;**


	4. Linking

**A/N: First of all, happy 2018, year of Kingdom Hearts! :D Second of all, I'm going to apologize for not letting you find out what happened to Aqua in this chapter. Sorry. Story flow calls for a Terrella chapter here, but the next one will definitely focus on Vanitas and Aqua!**

 **Also, here we get to have Cinderella's POV! :D It was a little tough to write, that's part of what made this chapter take so long. The other part was that I both played through Terra's story on BbS and watched the animated Cinderella movie in the interim to try and get their characters right (or at least know what parts I'm purposely messing up *sweatdrop*). Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

Cinderella felt a strange, uncomfortable shudder run through her right before the sudden noise pierced the silence.

 _GONG._

Midnight. Midnight already? She gasped, shrugging off Terra's arm and standing up to stare at the clocktower. The realization pushed aside the strange physical fear that had overcome her the moment before.

 _GONG._

She spun to Terra, who was gaping at her in shock. "I'm sorry. I have to go," she breathed, then gathered her skirts, which were already beginning to fade into magical glitter.

 _GONG._

"Wait, what? Cinderella!" He jumped up from their fountainside seat, but she was already making a break for the carriage. It was linked to her fairy godmother's spell too; if she didn't get there soon, she would have no way of making it home, and then her family would catch her for certain.

 _GONG._

Terra's hand grabbed her wrist as the fourth bell sounded. She instinctively pulled away, but his grip was too strong. Panic flashed through her.

"Please, Terra, really, I _must_ go," she pleaded. By that point he finally noticed that her dress was dissolving. Before long she would be clad in glorified rags again.

He nodded and loosened his grip with an apologetic wince. "Sorry. How long before…?"

 _GONG._

"Before the spell is completely gone?" She finished for him. "The last stroke of midnight. I must be home by then."

"You'll never make it," he said quickly. "It took us more than twelve seconds to get here."

 _GONG,_ the clocktower agreed. Her sleeves and gloves dissolved into sparkles; the autumn night air suddenly felt freezing to her bare arms.

 _Oh, I never should have stayed out this late. Even if it was wonderful…_

"I'll have to try," she said, still rushing for the carriage. She could see it at the gate of the courtyard; it had already shrunk to half its size, as had the "horses." The white stallions squeaked in fear as they morphed back into her mice friends.

 _GONG._

"Wait." Terra stopped her again. Maybe if he hadn't stopped her the first time, she could have made it to the carriage and at least had a head start on her stepmother and stepsisters. Now even she had to admit the carriage was undrivable. "I have an idea."

She turned back to him, hugging herself to keep out the cold as well as to hide the shreds of her homemade pink dress. Terra had seen her like this before, and he had helped her anyway. She had no reason to be ashamed, but still… He was so handsome and important, and while she'd been able to pretend to be a princess for one night, it hurt to remember that underneath the magic, this was who she truly was.

 _GONG._

Terra summoned his strange key-shaped sword in a flash of translucent shapes and blue lightning. As she had the first time she had seen the magical weapon, she wondered if he was connected to her mysterious fairy godmother somehow. He claimed to be an ordinary knight, and didn't question him aloud, but what ordinary knight could use spells, or would show up at the exact moment she most needed protection?

He tossed the weapon far into the air, and at the next _GONG,_ it came flying back… quite literally, to Cinderella's surprise. The blade had somehow morphed into… she didn't even have a name for it.

She gasped. "Terra, what is that?"

"Glider," he replied quickly, leaping onto the large turquoise-and-bronze device as it swooped back around. "Hop on."

 _Hop on?_ She took a step back. Trusting him to protect her from the monsters was one thing, but riding some sort of strange flying machine?

 _GONG,_ the clock urged her on. She shuddered again, feeling something… dark, was the only way she could describe it. Coming from further in the castle's gardens. Was that shouting she heard too? She couldn't believe it would have anything to do with her, but she didn't want to find out.

Terra was holding out his hand, his smile weak with worry. For what reason would he be worried? He wasn't the one who would be punished and humiliated if her family found them.

 _GONG._

She swallowed and made her decision.

As soon as her hand clasped his, he pulled her up behind him as if she weighed nothing. "Hold on tight," he said as she adjusted her dress around the odd seat, trying to keep some degree of decency.

"Wait, the mice," she said before he could fly them away. "I need them."

"What?" He craned his neck around to give her a funny look, and she blushed.

"They're my friends," she explained, knowing he would find it silly, which was why she hadn't mentioned it earlier.

To her relief, he didn't argue or ask questions, or even waste time with another odd look. He just propelled the 'Glider' forward, bent down to scoop up the four mice, and then took to the sky.

"Cinderelly! Cinderelly!" Jaq cried, scrambling up Terra's arm and onto her shoulder. "What is it? Whatsa goin' on?"

"Yeah, uh, what's goin' on?" Gus echoed.

She didn't have time to answer, only to hold on to Terra's waist as the night sky rushed up to embrace them.

 _GONG._ The last stroke of midnight. The final sparkles fell from her, taking the remnants of her beautiful ensemble with them. _Well, not all of them,_ she realized, wiggling her toes and smiling. The glass slippers still remained for some reason.

The thought was swept from her mind in a gust of wind, and she clung to Terra's waist as tightly as she could, propriety forgotten for the moment. She should have been terrified at their impossible height, held aloft only by an impossible device. Maybe part of her was terrified, but it was quickly overshadowed by a mixture of giddiness and awe.

Her head was pressed against Terra's back, but she could still crane her neck enough to see the countryside sprawling below. The castle protruded from the evergreen forests like a giant crystal. She picked out her own home, Tremaine Manor, among the trees too. Her home, her prison. From their height, it could have been proportioned for one of her mouse friends.

"Oh…" She didn't know what else to say. As she gaped openly, Jaq and Gus struggled to climb down her arms and take shelter in Terra's pockets, where the two other mice had already hidden. If Terra noticed, he didn't seem to mind.

He slowed the glider, so they hung at the eye level of a couple of high-flying sparrows. They tweeted at her in surprise, and their words translated in her mind: _"Cinderella? Is that you? What in worms' name are you doing up here?"_

"Well, it's quite a long story…" she chuckled.

"Twee twee tweet?" One sparrow asked. " _Who's the man?"_

"He's, um… a friend," she answered, hoping Terra couldn't see her blush from this angle.

"Tweeeet tweet twee-tweet! Tweet twee!" _"Ohh, we get it. You better tell us about him when you get back on the ground where you belong!"_

Her face heated. "Oh, yes. Um, if you could just give us a moment…"

They laughed a chirpy little laugh, fluttered about her head, and then glided off. By that point, Terra was twisting around to raise his eyebrow at her.

"I don't suppose it's normal to be able to understand birds and mice, is it?" She asked, half hoping he would say it was. It certainly seemed more normal than creating some kind of flying machine out of thin air.

"...I wouldn't know," he finally answered. "I don't guess flying's normal for you though, huh."

She laughed a little at his echo of her thoughts. "Not particularly normal, no. But it _is_ wonderful."

He smiled, and it lit up his dark blue eyes. "I hoped it would be. I guess it could've looked like I was kidnapping you, flying off without warning like that." He chuckled sheepishly and took a hand off the handlebars to ruffle his hair.

"Well, it isn't like you threw me over your shoulder and dragged me into the sky kicking and screaming," she replied. "Quite the opposite, in fact."

"Heh. I guess we're all good then. We should probably get you home, before your family beats us to it."

"Yes," she agreed, though regret tinged her voice. Her eyes again found the prison she called home. It seemed so small, so insignificant from up here.

 _If only it were so small. I would have no trouble finishing my chores at all._

"Terra?" she asked as he began to urge the glider forward.

"Yeah?" He kept their speed slow, so she could hear him over the wind.

"With magic like this, you must be able to go anywhere. Around the whole world, perhaps. What brought you here tonight?" _What brought you to me?_

"Huh," he grunted, as if he hadn't thought about it. "I guess the universe thought it owed me a break."

She wasn't quite sure what to make of that. A shiver shook her - while her front was warm, close to Terra as she was, her back felt the full chill of the night wind. It wove through her already-matted hair, but she still found it too exhilarating to mind.

She forgot her questions for the moment and just took it in. She was _flying._ If that wasn't a dream come true, she didn't know what would be.

She turned her gaze upward, to the stars they had been watching together before the clocktower had so rudely interrupted. A gasp escaped her lips; the lights seemed so much closer than they had from the ground.

"It's almost as if I could reach out and touch them," she breathed.

"You could," she thought she heard Terra whisper, but maybe it was just the wind.

For all his haste to get them into the air, he took his time on the way down. Watching to make sure they weren't being watched, he said. She didn't mind. However quickly her stepmother and stepsisters' carriage was, it couldn't possibly beat flying.

Finally the glider hovered just a few feet from the ground in that same clearing by the fountain where he had first found her crying. In spite of that first impression, he had stayed - she had had the courage to ask him to stay. And she hadn't let those monsters scare her from her chance to go to the ball. Perhaps she _was_ more brave than she'd thought.

He dismounted the glider first, then extended a hand up to her. Glad her blush shouldn't be too visible in the pale starlight, she accepted his help down. She hadn't meant to guilt him into the gesture earlier; she had made the apparently unwarranted assumption that all knights wanted the opportunity to be chivalrous, but he had seemed confused by her pause. It had been adorable, really. Regardless, he now seemed to be putting in extra effort to right his supposed mistake.

"Thank you," she said as her glass-slippered feet touched the ground. The truly magical thing was that that those beautiful but impractical shoes hadn't given her blisters. The mice scrambled out of Terra's pockets, making him chuckle, and after a look from her they took off towards the manor.

"No problem." He shrugged with a smile that quickly faded. "So, uh… I guess this is goodbye."

The heavy finality of his words hit her like another _gong_ of the clocktower. "Yes… I suppose it is." She swallowed. "Thank you for the lovely night, Terra."

He bowed from the waist, the way he had when leading her into the ballroom. "The pleasure was all mine."

That should have been all. She should have turned, walked back through the muddy garden in her glass shoes, and let this night fade into the dream that it already was. Instead she found herself unable to move, unable to turn away from this handsome stranger's starlit eyes.

"Terra… will I ever see you again?" She asked earnestly.

He grimaced, and her heart sank. "I don't know. I'm still supposed to be investigating those monsters, and I need to find Master Xehanort. I meant to ask around at the ball…"

Oh. So that was why he had been going - and she had distracted him from his mission. "I'm sorry."

"No! Cinderella, it's not your fault. I just…" He shook his head, searching for words that didn't reach his voice. Then he took her hand and squeezed it softly. "I hope my search takes me back here. But in case it doesn't…"

She felt the cool metal charm he had pressed into her palm. Her fingers uncurled around it, and its orange surface glowed with a warm light. She stared, mesmerized, until Terra carefully took it back.

"Now we're connected," he explained. "If you ever need me, I'll know. And I'll be here."

She blinked up at him, not bothering to fight the tears prickling at the edge of her eyes. "You can do that?"

"Yep. One of my special knight powers." He smiled.

 _You_ would _do that?_ Would have been the more accurate question. But apparently he already had. Twin droplets of water streaked down her already-disheveled face, but she didn't care. She threw her arms around him, around this man she barely knew, but who for whatever reason seemed determined to protect her.

"You are wonderful, Terra. Are you certain my fairy godmother didn't send you?" She asked.

"Uhh… I don't think so." After a moment of hesitation, he hugged her back. It was a wonderful feeling, being held by someone strong and warm and kind. Really, it might have been wonderful to be held by anyone at all; it had been so long… since her father's passing. How had she managed? In that moment, she felt the same small, scared child she had been then.

 _No. Not scared. Strong,_ she told herself. He believed in her strength. Maybe that would be enough for her to believe, too.

Finally he let her go. She thought he was going to say something, with that look on his face, but it took him a while to find the words. "Before you go, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she replied without hesitation. His voice became serious; his cobalt eyes grazed the ground.

"...Is there anything else I can do to help you?" He asked. It was the last thing she'd expected.

"Oh. Um…" _You can take me with you, wherever it is you're going._ "No. You have done more than enough, Terra."

He met her eyes again and smiled, but she couldn't help feeling that something was missing.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" She asked in return. It was silly, she realized; what could a girl like her offer a knight? But it felt the right thing to say.

He shook his head, jostling his strange but handsome brown spikes of hair - but then he stopped. "Actually, there is one thing. Just…

"Believe in me."

They were the last words she would hear him say. Then he slammed his fist against the piece of metal on his shoulder, and the magical armor engulfed him. With barely another nod, he jumped onto his glider and rose into the sky.

"Goodbye, Terra," Cinderella whispered as he streaked into the night, like another shooting star. On a whim, she made another wish. "Please, don't forget me. And may your journey bring you back someday soon."

Her dreams had come true once. She could only believe they would come true again.

Until then, she would keep believing in him.

XXX

" _Before you go, can I ask you something?"_

" _Of course."_

" _If I weren't a knight - if I'm not the hero - would you still have wanted me to stay?"_

Those weren't the right words. He couldn't find the right words. So he hadn't asked. The regret settled in his chest as he jetted away, pausing only a moment to look back and make sure she got inside safely.

 _It was the right thing to do_ , he told himself. _I had to leave eventually. She'll be alright. She's strong._

She had more light in her than he could ever hope to have. What could he offer her? He wasn't even a hundred percent confident that his D-Link with her would work in reverse; he would be able to contact her, but he didn't know if she could really contact him.

 _It was the most I could do. And if I fail, she has a fairy godmother, apparently._ Though the fairy hadn't appeared in time to save Cinderella from the Unversed…

 _I can't protect everyone. Finding a way to stop the Unversed for good will go farther than saving one girl in one world._ Even if it was the one girl who made the darkness is in his heart feel so distant...

He opened a portal to the Lanes Between, resolving to talk to Yen Sid himself. Surely the older Master would have more answers. _Or at least, a warm bed to spend the night in._ He liked camping, but not with the Unversed lurking around and waking him up every couple of hours. As he thought of it, his body suddenly felt the fatigue he had been repressing; it was a miracle he had stayed awake until midnight.

In spite of his exhaustion, hunger, and knowledge that he had a long way to go yet, he smiled. He'd helped a dream come true tonight.

And maybe that dream didn't only belong to her.

XXX

"Ven-Ven! Flurry! Wake up, wake up!"

"Hngh?" Ven snorted awake and blinked the crustiness out of his eyes. "Wagh!" He scrambled back from the mouse looming over him.

"Come, come! Your friend is here!"

It came back to him like a smack in the face. Getting shrunk, helping out the mice, and asking if they'd seen- "Terra!"

He leapt out of the makeshift bed - a fabric-scrap lined matchbox - and rushed to follow Jaq, who was already taking off through the maze of woodwork. His limbs were still heavy with sleep, but his mind was wide awake now.

"Flurry, Flurry! Cinderelly is saying goodbye!"

"Cinderella? She met Terra?" Ven asked while panting. He was always faster than Terra and Aqua, but this little mouse was making him push it. He blamed the fact that he just woke up.

"Yes, yes! Now flurry!" Jaq didn't pause as he jumped down a tall step, leaving his red hat to flutter down after him.

Ven didn't need to be told twice, or well, as many times as Jaq repeated himself. He "flurried." _Terra…_

" _He's leaving you behind. And by the time you catch up… he'll be a different person."_

Ven shook the thought off like a dust cloud. Whoever that boy was, he didn't know the first thing about Terra. Terra _never_ changed. He was just as steady as the earth he was named for, and just as strong too.

"There, zugk-zugk!" Jaq called, pointing to the light at the end of the tunnel.

Ven came barreling out of the mousehole, only to crash into Jaq as the mouse skidded to a stop.

"Oh!" The giant Cinderella was standing there in the hall, but she knelt down when she saw them. "What's this fuss about? It's late; I thought you would want to get some rest."

"Terra - Jaq said you met him. Is he here?" Ven jumped straight to the point. Jaq _had_ said to hurry.

"You know Terra? He can talk to…? Well, I did think you looked too strange to be a normal mouse." She chuckled. "I was too busy to ask questions earlier, and after tonight I'm hardly surprised anymore…"

"Strange! I'm not-" Ven protested, fists clenched, but then slumped with a sigh. "Nevermind. Please, tell me where I can find Terra."

She sighed, a gust of wind that nearly knocked him backwards. "I'm sorry, Ven. He just left after taking me home from the ball. I don't know where he left to… or if I'll ever see him again."

"Ball?" He looked her over, which was pretty hard to do at his size. There was just so much _her_ to look at. "Did Unversed attack you there?" She looked horrible. Her pink dress was in shreds, and hair was swept in enough different directions that it almost looked like his.

"Oh, this?" She tugged at a loose scrap of fabric with a sad laugh. "No, this was… well, it's a long story, and it's quite late. I'll need to get some rest; I'm sure Stepmother will have plenty of work for me tomorrow…"

She held out her hand, and Jaq scampered up onto it. Reluctantly Ven followed. Being held up so high wasn't a problem - he liked heights - but it was embarrassing enough being so small without being carried on top of it. It _was_ nice not to have to scramble back up those tall flights of stairs, though.

"So you said Terra was with you at a ball?" Ven asked, trying to glue all the pieces together. "And there _weren't_ Unversed there?"

"There were plenty along the way, but he took care of them for me. He was very brave." Her cheeks got pink at that, for some reason.

"Of course he was! Terra's the bravest person I know," Ven replied.

"It sounds like you know him pretty well." She smiled. "Do you know where he's from?"

"Sure! We're both from- uh-" _Whoops, I'm not supposed to talk about other worlds!_ "Uh… it's… it's a secret." He finally finished with a nod. _There. Nailed it!_

Cinderella covered her mouth with her free hand and giggled. "Of course it is. Well, it was worth a try."

"If there weren't Unversed there, then why was Terra at the ball? Isn't that a thing where there's dancing and fancy people and stuff?" That sounded like the last place he'd find Terra.

She quietly opened the door to her room and set him and Jaq on the dresser. "Yes, there was dancing… and he was _so_ wonderful to dance with…" She spun gracefully in the center of the room. "And talking with him under the stars… and flying on his strange Glider… it was truly a dream come true."

Ven choked. "He took you on his _Glider?"_ The Master would kill him for that! Why would he… why would he…? _Oh._ He slapped his face. "Terra likes her, doesn't he?" He whispered to Jaq, who grinned.

"We hope-a so, zugk-zugk. Cinderelly not been this happy in…" He paused to think, his little hand rubbing his chin. "Ever?"

Ven sat down. Terra, liking a girl? If he was going to make a move with someone, he would've thought for sure it would be Aqua. But he'd never really talked to Terra about anything like that.

"But tomorrow everything will be back to normal," Cinderella sighed and fell back onto her bed. "The same old clock waking me up… same old Stepmother and Stepsisters demanding breakfast, and the sewing, and the laundry, and… then tonight will be nothing more than a dream.

"But it was such a beautiful dream…" She slid off her shoes - were those made of _glass? Ouch -_ and set them on her lap. "A dream I will never forget."

"You say that like he's never coming back," Ven piped up, startling her.

"He may come back, eventually," she said. "But he is so busy with his quest, I don't know when that will be. I couldn't ask him to stay, even if his magic works."

"Magic?"

She nodded. "Yes. He placed this star-shaped charm in my hand and used some kind of spell, one he said would let him know if I need him. Only I wish he had explained how it would work..."

"The Wayfinder!" Ven leapt to his feet. _Whoa, Terra, how serious are you about this girl?_ Well, it seemed enough that Ven had a responsibility to help her. For Terra. "I know how it works!"

"You do?" She asked in surprise.

"Yeah! I'll be right back!" He dashed into a crack in the wall behind the dresser, and he didn't have to wait long before Unversed appeared in the mice's secret passage. A few swipes of his keyblade later, he was back on top of the dresser, arms full of D-Link Crystals. He had to be careful to keep them from absorbing into his skin.

"What are those?" Cinderella asked, looming over him. Man, he wished he was big again. Well, as big as he ever was, anyway.

"They're called D-Link Crystals! They let us connect with people from- uh, people we care about. Anyway, I'll let you try it with me to make sure it works." He set down the crystals, dug the green Wayfinder out of his pocket, and held it up to her. It looked so tiny in her giant hand; he hoped she wouldn't crush it by accident. So far it had survived him getting beat up by Unversed, though, so Aqua's magic on it must've been pretty good.

"Alright, what should I do?"

"Um… well…" The charm had formed a D-Link with Snow White by accident; he'd hoped it would just figure itself out.

As it turned out, it did. At least, the Wayfinder glowed with a fuzzy green light, so he assumed it had worked. When she carefully passed it back to him, he felt it hum with a new energy. Another friend.

"Okay! So now you need these." Jaq helped him gather up the D-Link Crystals again. "You just gotta let them, uh, melt on your hand. You don't have to think about it too much."

"Alright then, let's try it." She held out her hand again, and when he dropped the armful of crystals into it, they dissolved into happy-looking sparkles. "Oh!"

"You feel something?" Ven grinned. He hadn't known if it would work, with her not having a Wayfinder and all, but it was looking good so far.

"Yes, it feels… tingly." She scrunched her nose.

"Good, I think that's what it's supposed to do." He nodded. "Okay. Now here's the last part. You gotta think of me _really_ hard. Like, picture me in your head."

"Is that all?" She asked a little skeptically.

"Yep! Just that!"

She closed her eyes tightly; she sure _looked_ like she was thinking really hard. As the seconds passed though, Ven began to get impatient. Was it going to work or not?

"I'm not sure-" Cinderella began, only to be surrounded with a faint green halo, like she'd had Cure cast on her. "Oh!"

"Cinderelly light up!" Jaq laughed. "Now she bright on-a outside, too!"

"Yes!" Ven cheered, throwing his fists in the air. "Looks like you did it!" A second later he could feel it too, the fuzzy warmth of someone touching his heart.

"And that… that will let me reach Terra?" She asked with a hopeful smile.

"Sure will!" He grinned as her glow faded; the mini D-Link Crystals hadn't been enough to last long. "I'll just get you some more of those crystals before I go!"

"Go? You're leaving too?"

"Well…" He thought about it. He was going to look for Terra, but Cinderella could call him now. Ven couldn't do it with his own D-Link; if he used it, Terra would just think he was training. This might be his best shot of finding his friend and getting some answers about what that masked boy said. "I guess I could stay a _little_ longer."

"Oh, thank you, Ven." Cinderella picked him up in one hand and hugged him to her cheek. It was weird to get hugged by a giant, but at least she didn't squeeze too hard. "This means so much to me."

"Hey, no problem! A friend of Terra's is a friend of mine!"

Ven grinned. He was going to have fun teasing his friend about this when they met again.

 **A/N: Yep, Unplanner, Terra's comment in the first chapter about inhaling D-Link Crystals was user error. Even Ven figured it out. XD**

 **Bet you weren't expecting to see Ven! :D I don't know that he will show up often, but he's definitely around and may be important later.**

 **I'm realizing this fic is going to be way longer and more involved than I was expecting (big surprise there ^^;). There may be some big clues about that and in what ways the plot will continue to diverge from canon in the next Terra chapter.**


	5. Kidnapping

**A/N: *looks at chapter titles* One of these things is not like the others…**

Sleep trickled away like sand from an hourglass, taking the last dregs of Aqua's dream with it. That was too bad. It had been such a nice dream, she was sure, though now that she tried to chase it she couldn't quite remember what it had been about. There was a vague impression of twinkling stars…

Her bed shifted beneath her, jolting her the last few steps into consciousness. Light, she hadn't fallen asleep with Terra or Ven, had she? It had been at least a year since any of them had had a nightmare bad enough to send them running to the other's rooms, and though the three of them were close as siblings, they were probably too old for that now.

But she hadn't fallen asleep with her friends. She looked around and found herself alone and in the dark. The only light fell in three misshapen patches on the ground, as if through small windows. Where in the worlds…?

The ground again shifted beneath her, and suddenly the jagged middle window widened, exposing her to the outside. She squinted against the brighter light, even though it was still relatively dim - her little room seemed to be inside a larger room, if the dusty floor strewn with wooden crates was any clue.

"Nngh…" She groaned as a wave of nausea hit her. She had felt that only once before, when a few Heartless had breached the protective wards around the Land of Departure.

" _Master… what is this? I feel so sick…"_

" _Do not worry, it will pass. I suspect you have an ability common to many of the old keyblade wielders. Remember this feeling well - it is the sensation of darkness."_

Yes, she did remember it well. The feeling was definitely the same, maybe not quite so intense. The Master had said that it would fade to more manageable levels in time. But where was it coming from…?

"Huh, the princess finally wakes." A bored voice drawled from somewhere outside her line of sight. She shook off the dark feeling and tried to stand to get a better view, but the ground heaved, sending her falling to her knees. "I wouldn't try that if I were you."

"What's going on?" Regardless of the darkness, there was a more pressing question: how did she get here? The last thing she remembered, she had been wishing on a star...

"Oh, nothing much." The sound of boots hitting the ground, then a low chuckle. "I just thought I'd give a more realistic ending to your little fairy tale."

She shuffled to the window, gripped the bar-like spikes protruding from its top, and peaked her head out. It wasn't entirely necessary, as the owner of the dark voice picked that moment to strut into her view.

He was clothed in something that couldn't be native to this world, or at least this part of it - he wore a suit that seemed to be woven from the darkness itself, with a bleeding heart traced out in red veins over the chest. His face was hidden by a glassy helmet, rimmed at the bottom with jagged metal. But that wasn't the strangest thing. In spite of his obvious effort to appear intimidating, he wore a navy-and-red _skirt_ of all things.

She decided to ignore that for now, as there were still more urgent questions to ask. Like, "Who are you?"

He paused, as if he'd expected her to scream, or gasp in fear, or ask anything else but that. Then he laughed, a sharp, sudden sound that shocked her back. "Who am I? I thought that would be obvious." He strode towards her with the sharp focus of a predator. Maybe she should have been more intimidated. She likely would have been, had his approach not highlighted how short he was. That thought fled her mind when he grasped the bar right beside her head and brought his shielded face far too close to hers.

"I'm a monster." His voice betrayed the smirk his mask hid. Then, with another eerie chuckle, he leapt back and crouched atop one of the wooden crates. "But you can call me Void."

 _Void._ She shuddered. "Alright, _Void._ What do you want with me?" It was easy enough to piece together that she was being held "captive" - this smaller room must be some kind of cage, if a strangely squishy one - which meant that this Void person must not know about her keyblade. As soon as he was distracted, she would be able to burst out of here easily. But before that, it would be useful to find out what he did know.

"I want a lot of things," he replied cryptically. "Your light, mostly."

She blinked, having not expected a straight answer. Or, well, a somewhat straight answer. "What do you mean, my light?"

"Tch." He jumped down again, his skirt flaring out around his waist with the motion. "How about I just show you?"

He was there in a blink, reaching through her window. She scrambled back; though her movements were hindered by the strangely squishy ground, she still avoided his grip.

"Stay back!" She shouted. "You don't know what you're dealing with!"

He chuckled; she was beginning to hate that sound. "I know more than you think, _Aqua."_ He sneered her name.

Pressed against the concave back of her cell, she froze. "You… how do you…?"

"That's enough questions." He turned his back to her. The fact that he knew her name was concerning, but that didn't necessarily mean he knew about her powers. Now would be as good a time as any to- "And don't even think about summoning your keyblade."

Her hand, outstretched and waiting to be filled, closed around empty air. He _did_ know. But then how did he expect to keep her here? She was debating whether or not to heed his warning when he spoke up again.

"Haven't you wondered where you are yet?" He leaned against the crate, crossing his arms. For now she decided to indulge his conversation.

"Didn't you say not to ask any more questions?" She raised her eyebrows, looking as defiant as she could while trapped in a glorified, squishy cage.

"Fair enough." He shrugged. "I'll give you this one free of charge, since I'm in a good mood. Though I'm surprised you haven't figured it out already. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

She didn't want to rise to the taunt, but she found herself looking around anyway, searching for more clues, but always keeping him in her periphery. The pale orange walls of her prison weren't perfectly spherical as she had first assumed; they were ribbed, like the each section had been caved out. It was difficult to see the floor other than in the spaces illuminated through the windows, but it didn't look as squishy as it felt. It looked smooth, almost glossy, a texture she mostly associated with…

The cage jolted, bouncing of its own accord. It didn't make any sense, but she had only one guess of what it was.

She tried to keep her balance without touching the walls. She didn't want to touch the floor either, but she didn't have much of a choice in that matter. "Am I… inside an _Unversed?"_

It sounded ridiculous, but Void's laugh confirmed it. "Congratulations, maybe you're _not_ an idiot!"

"But… how…" The prison had felt spacious enough moments ago, but now… _Stay calm!_ Her lungs didn't want to listen; they were heaving, gasping, as if all the air was due to disappear any second.

"They're made of what I feel," Void said smugly. "When you destroy them, they just return to me. So don't bother trying to kill it. I'll know, and I'll be here faster than you can cry for help."

 _Oh light. Oh light…_ She had to tell Terra, somehow. This Void was the person he was looking for, the source of the Unversed.

"Then I'll fight you, too," she said, glaring him down for all she was worth. "You really think you can kidnap a Keyblade Master and get away with it?"

He uncrossed his arms and held out a hand, palm outstretched. In his grasp appeared a charcoal-colored keyblade, with serrated teeth rimmed in red. Set just above the hilt and near the teeth were two piercing aquamarine eyes.

"Yeah." He plunged the dark keyblade into the side of the crate, where it stayed, staring at Aqua with its one visible eye. "I think I can."

Aqua's fingers flexed, itching to summon her own blade. But she couldn't, not yet. She had no way of knowing how strong this Void was. Clearly he had been strong enough to overpower her, to trap her here… how had this even happened? The last thing she remembered was watching the stars with -

"Vanitas!" She gasped, suddenly remembering. To her surprise, Void jumped as if he'd been struck. "Where is he? What did you do with him?"

Void shook his head with a laugh that quickly rose to a cackle. "Why do you care? You've got enough to worry about already."

"Please, just tell me." She didn't expect to ask so sincerely, not from this monster, but she had to know. Vanitas had been grumpy and a little rude, but he had also been sweet in his own way, and eager to spend time with her, however dubious his reasons had been. She hadn't completely understood him, but she had thought she could help him. Now, because of her, he might be in trouble. Or worse.

"I thought I told you to stop asking questions," Void muttered. "This is the last one you're gonna get, so you better ask yourself: is it really worth it?"

"Yes," she answered without hesitation. "He was just a boy. He didn't deserve to get hurt!" _Especially not because of me…!_

"Tch. I don't think you know what he deserves." Void pulled his keyblade free, sending wooden splinters flying, then set to pacing back and forth between her Unversed cage and the dusty crates.

"And you do?" Aqua challenged. "Just tell me!"

"You make it sound like he actually mattered. Well, you should know he put up a good fight, at least."

Aqua choked. "You mean… you mean he…" Could Void really have killed him? She took one look at his dark blade, the taut muscles highlighted by his suit, the mask that covered the face of a monster. Yes. She didn't need her sense for darkness to know that Void was capable of killing.

As for Vanitas… she hadn't known him for long. A few hours at most. But that was long enough for her to decide that he could have been her friend. He could have been anything, if only he had chosen to dance with anyone but her… If only she hadn't been foolish enough to let her girlish fantasies get the best of her…

"Are you _crying?"_ Void asked incredulously. "You're kidding."

She wiped away the water trickling from her eyes. "You - you _freak!"_ She spat, rising to her feet. Her head nearly grazed the roof of her cage, but she didn't care. "He was a person! He had people who cared about him, and you just - you just _murdered him_!"

Void took a step back, as if he actually had enough of a conscience to be offended. "I never said that. I just said he put up a good fight. He tried to protect you, after I put you to sleep. Didn't expect that, but I just decided to take him along too. Figured it might give you a little incentive to cooperate."

Aqua's mind slowly processed the words. Her heart felt like it had been jerked back and forth too many times; she wasn't sure she could believe him. "Then he's alive?"

" _Yes,_ he's alive. Weren't you listening?" He dismissed his keyblade, returning to sitting on one of the crates. "He'll only stay that way as long as you play nice, though."

 _Oh._ So that was Void's plan. She might be able to take him on herself, but knowing what he could do to Vanitas… She couldn't try to escape. Not yet. She'd need to at least find out where Void was keeping him first.

"...Alright." She sighed, slumping to the ground. The cage bounced like it wanted to remind her that it was alive. As if she could forget. "What are you going to do with me, then?"

Void _tsk-tsked._ "Sorry, Aqua. You're out of questions."

A pool of darkness rose from the ground behind him, and he stepped back into it. When the darkness faded, he was gone, leaving Aqua with a head full of questions and no answers.

"Vanitas…" She whispered, as the fear squeezed more warm drops from her eyes. "I'll find a way to get you out of here. Somehow…"

XXX

Vanitas emerged from his dark corridor just outside the storage room's door. Not far enough to make the corridor worth it, except for the dramatic effect; it would have been easier, and safer, to just use the door. Abandoned as this part of the castle may seem, he never knew when a stray servant might decide to stick his nose where it didn't belong.

He pressed his ear to the old wooden door. No noise. Either Aqua had listened and decided to behave herself, or the storage room was big enough that no cries for help she made would be heard. He felt for his Cursed Coach Unversed - the one that served as her cage - and found it no more agitated than usual. So she wasn't hasty enough to try and escape just yet.

Vanitas let out a shaky laugh, then threw off his helmet and ran a hand through his hair. That had been close. He'd thought for sure that she'd recognized him, that he hadn't changed his voice enough, or maybe his height had given him away. But no, she was just _worried_ about him, of all things. The him she thought she knew, anyway.

" _He was a person! He had people who cared about him!"_

He shook his head roughly. She'd never know how big a lie that really was.

" _You - you_ freak!" He couldn't help remembering too. He hadn't flinched at those words. After all, they were true.

He scratched at the veins over his chest. So why did something about it still hurt?

"She's getting in my head again," he muttered, smacking his forehead against the dome of his helmet. This plan had seemed so simple in the dark of night, when she was unconscious and he was running on impulse. Capture her. Keep her hidden in an abandoned turret of the Castle of Dreams, in an Unversed of his creation. Have access to her light whenever he needed it, especially in case anything happened to Ventus. None of her friends knew that she had left the Land of Departure; they wouldn't come looking. Not until it was too late.

Claiming to have kidnapped "Vanitas" too hadn't been part of the plan. She had given him that one all on her own. He'd planned to tell her he'd killed him. The guilt and pain in her expression would have been good entertainment.

Only… they weren't. What was wrong with him? Was he broken? Aqua had to suffer. If she thought he was weak, if she thought she could reason with him or risk breaking out, she would try to escape. In a fair fight, Vanitas wasn't as confident as he'd like to be that he could win. At least, not without damage that Xehanort would question. And if Xehanort found out…

He _wouldn't_ find out. Not unless Vanitas chose to merge with Aqua in the end, and by then it would be too late. He would have the X-Blade, and there would be nothing Xehanort could do to hurt him then.

Vanitas stood, shoved his helmet back over his mess of hair, and wandered down the winding stairs. The storage room was in a turret high above the rest of the castle; it would have been easier to corridor down, but he had a purpose in walking. He needed to make sure this area was as abandoned as it seemed, plus he wanted to do some sneaking around the rest of the castle. If he could leave his Unversed in other wings, the guards would be too busy to investigate his new lair.

He emerged from the stone stairway into a hall where bright morning light streamed in through the large windows. Ugh. He'd hardly slept the previous night, worried as he'd been that Aqua would wake before him. The light pierced through his helmet; he had to shield the glare with his hand as he searched for any signs of life. No servants or guards bustled here, though. The castle seemed entirely too big for just the king and the prince; what was the point of it? Did being royalty just mean wasting lots of empty space? Vanitas would've been happy with any space protected from the elements. Preferably a space with a mattress. That wasn't a bad idea, actually; maybe he could find a spare one to steal while he made his rounds.

More halls and stairs, like a gilded but useless labyrinth. He'd need the dark corridors to even find his way back to the tower room. At least he knew that if Aqua tried to escape, she wasn't likely to make it far either.

Finally he peeked through a door and saw people. Cooks, it looked like, if their shining silver platters were any clue. Vanitas's mouth watered at the smell of bacon and eggs steaming from them. A couple of Scrappers itched under his skin, spurred on by his hunger and desire for the hot food.

With a sly grin, he let the Unversed out. They burst from his sides and streaked towards the cooks, who let out a shrill scream.

"Monsters! Guards, come quick!" One had the sense to shout as he ran away, dropping the platter to the floor with a _clang_. The Scrappers wanted to give chase, but Vanitas stepped out of his hiding place and grabbed them both by their heads.

"Now, now, you can play later." He winced as he absorbed their negativity back through his palms - that was never pleasant - but a fresh grin quickly replaced it.

"Breakfast is served."

XXX

Aqua ripped out the fourth page in her journal, crumpled it into a ball, and chucked it at the side of her cage. The Unversed jumped at the soft impact, just like it had the last three times. The wide half-barred window - which she could only assume was the creature's mouth - gnashed ominously.

 _Could this thing really eat me?_ She wondered, not for the first time in the past… however long since Void had abandoned her. _If it's made out of his emotions, it shouldn't have any kind of digestive system, right?_ The biology of the Unversed hadn't been her largest priority. That mental effort was saved for her plan.

Unfortunately, as evidenced by the four paper wads scattered around the Unversed's insides, that plan wasn't coming together. Each fragmented idea came bundled with a dozen problems. She could try to squeeze through one of the Unversed's windows, but even if Void could only feel his monsters' pain, it was likely to attack her, and then she'd still be forced to fight her way out. She could take her chances with fighting and hope that Void would come for her before hurting Vanitas, but that would be too big of a risk. Gambling her own life was one thing; dragging in another's was something else.

Lacking the necessary information to form a proper plan, she instead tried to collect as many clues as she could about her prison. She was clearly inside a building, but soft light illuminated the motes of dust floating through the air. Unless this world had electricity, the room had windows. She couldn't see any of them directly, though; maybe they were up too high to reach. Surely someone would be able to hear her if she yelled, though?

 _And then Void will just hurt Vanitas,_ she thought. Was there no way out of this?

She stood, pacing the soft floor. The Unversed seemed to swell to accommodate her desire for space. The creature was surprisingly well-behaved for a monster - had Void commanded it not to attack her? That could be a clue in itself. He seemed to want her intact, for whatever reason. Maybe she could use that to her advantage.

A distinctive _whoosh_ echoed in the room - the same noise that had accompanied Void's exit before. Aqua stopped her pacing to stare out one of the top windows. To her surprise, it wasn't Void entering through one of those dark portals, but… was that a bed frame? The screeching of wood on stone made her wince as the bed emerged, followed by the two Bruisers pushing it, and then lastly by Void himself. The sickening feeling of darkness hit her short seconds later.

"Not bad," Void muttered to himself. Then he held out his hands, and the two Unversed faded into mist that streamed into him. Aqua gasped at the sight - these monsters literally were born from him. If Void noticed her noise, he didn't acknowledge it; he was too busy pacing the circumference of the bed, as if looking for flaws.

"Are you… giving me a better place to sleep?" Aqua dared to ask. She didn't have to stay _inside_ an Unversed, right? He could just as easily have his monsters guard her room. After all, as long as he had Vanitas, she couldn't risk doing much.

Void's head turned in her direction, and then he let out a piercing cackle. "You really think I'd bring this for _you?_ No. This is mine." He lounged on it with his feet kicked up on the baseboard and his hands behind his head to prove it.

"You're - you're going to sleep _here_?" The shock laced her voice. Was he planning on staying here all the time? How was she going to find a way out of this if he did?

He sat up, and somehow she felt he was glaring in spite of the dark glass covering his eyes. "What? Do you have a problem with that?"

 _Yes,_ she wanted to say, but that would only make him more likely to do it. So instead she didn't say anything. That didn't stop him, though.

"Have you come up with an escape plan yet?" He asked, making her jump. He chuckled. "Of course you have. Might as well spit it out. It's not going to work anyway."

"Quit playing mind games!" She shouted. "Why did you bring me here, really?"

He slid from the bed, then prowled towards her. She suddenly regretted her outburst, but all he did was snap his fingers, and a Scrapper came running through a portal. In its three-clawed hands was a steaming plate of scrambled eggs and sausage. Void snatched the plate, and Aqua thought for a second that he might reveal his face in order to eat. Instead, he thrust the food through her cage window.

She stared at the dish. Was it poisoned? As much as she distrusted her mysterious captor, that wouldn't make much sense after all the effort he'd made to keep her here alive. Still, she hesitated to come close enough to him to accept the food.

"Come on, you're hungry, aren't you?" He growled, waving the plate so that a speck of scrambled egg fell to the Unversed's floor. "If I had someone offering me fresh-cooked food, I wouldn't be so picky."

She still hung back, trying to analyze the situation. Eventually he huffed and started to turn away.

"Fine, starve if you want. I'll just-"

She darted forward, snatching the plate before he could take it from her reach. But he'd apparently been expecting that. Just as she'd taken the food from his grasp, he gripped both of her wrists.

She screamed. It was an involuntary reflex, one that earned her bruises as his grip tightened.

If that had been the worst part, she would have been grateful. But as soon as he'd touched her, she felt a terrible emptiness, as if pieces of her heart were being sucked away. The room grew dim around her, its already sparse colors fading to grey. For a few horrifying moments, she couldn't breathe.

Then he released her. She dropped the plate, then collapsed to her knees gagging and panting. She wanted to sob, but forced herself to hold it in. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of breaking her so easily.

"To answer your question, _this_ is why I took you." He turned his back on her and took a deep breath. "Keep your light strong, _Aqua_. I wouldn't want the darkness to take you like your friend Terra."

She gasped. She wanted to scream, to demand to know how he knew about her and Terra, but her mouth wouldn't form the words.

 _Did he… did he just steal my light…?_

She didn't get to ask. He opened another portal of darkness and disappeared, leaving her kneeling in a pile of spilled breakfast food.

Since he was no longer there to see her shame, she picked up a sausage and bit into it.

XXX

"There you are," Master Xehanort grumbled as Vanitas emerged in the Keyblade Graveyard. "Insolent boy. Why did you ignore my summons?"

"I was occupied," Vanitas snapped. Xehanort always expected him to drop everything on a whim, when the old man usually just wanted him to spread Unversed in a different world or run some menial errand. "What do you want?"

"I expected a report on Aqua's demise hours ago. Or did she prove to be more than you could handle?"

Vanitas snorted. "Good to know you have such confidence in me. I took care of her."

"Good. My plan proceeds as I've foreseen. Spread your abominations in Radiant Garden; I will be luring Terra there soon." Xehanort folded his arms behind his back and hunched away, not bothering to make sure Vanitas would obey. After all, he always did; he wanted to reunite with Ventus, and Xehanort's plan was the most reasonable way. The old Master might treat him like dirt, but he knew what he was doing.

 _Soon I'll be whole again, and none of this will matter,_ Vanitas reminded himself. Then Xehanort would love him again.

Or Vanitas would kill him. Either way, he wouldn't lose sleep over it.

Though Xehanort had opened a corridor, he suddenly stopped before walking through it. "Vanitas."

"What?"

"Your darkness. Why is it hidden from my senses?"

He hesitated a beat too long before answering, "I needed a cloaking spell to sneak up on Aqua. I borrowed some of that Princess's light."

"Hmm. Your spell needs improvement. I can still feel your darkness when I concentrate."

"...Yes, Master," he forced himself to reply. Finally the geezer shuffled off through his dark corridor.

No time to bask in the success of his lie. He released his held breath and faded through a dark corridor of his own.

XXX

It was dark by the time Void returned again. Or, it would have been dark, if not for the hovering Fire spell that kept Aqua company. It had set off the Unversed at first, but once it apparently realized that she didn't mean to set it ablaze, the monster had calmed down. So it was that Void found her sprawled on her stomach, writing in her journal by the flickering light.

"I hate everything,"she thought she heard him mutter as he flopped down gracelessly on the bed. She ignored him. She may not have a plan of escape yet, but she did have _a_ plan. He was obviously trying to manipulate her in some way. Well, he couldn't do that if she didn't rise to his taunts.

 _Void is back again,_ she wrote. _He seems angry about something. Good. He deserves it for what he's done to me._ That sentence sounded a little too spiteful, but it was true. _I still can't believe this has happened. I'm supposed to be a Keyblade Master, yet I've been defeated in my very first world. I don't even know if I'm still in the Castle of Dreams. With his portals of darkness, Void could have taken me anywhere in the worlds._

She glanced up at him; he was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Or maybe he was asleep. Would he sleep with that awful helmet on? That couldn't be comfortable.

He didn't seem to care about feeding her this time, which was fine by her. She had packed enough food in the special pocket of her skirt-wrap to last a week. After that… well, she didn't plan to still be here after that.

 _I have to find out what he did with Vanitas,_ she continued writing. _If I can ensure his safety, I'm sure I can find a way out of here for myself._

Unfortunately, finding anything else out would probably require speaking with Void again. She sighed.

"Why do you hate everything?" She asked. He sat up a little.

"What?"

"Why do you hate everything?" She repeated. "Did something happen?"

He snorted and laid back down. "Don't pretend like you care."

He lapsed back into silence. Well, fine then. He was right; she didn't care.

"...I went to a stupid world," he eventually spoke, to her surprise. "Some dumb guards attacked me when I tried to release Unversed by their castle." He pressed a hand to his side. "Stupid Cure isn't doing a good enough job…"

If he expected her to offer to help, he was going to be disappointed. "Serves you right, terrorizing the worlds like that."

"So now you think you know what _I_ deserve. How typical." He snorted again. "Get rid of that Fire. I'm going to bed."

Much as she itched to argue, she knew it would be useless. She dismissed the spell, and the room was plunged into darkness.

"Goodnight, _Aqua."_ Void's words echoed, sending a shiver down her spine. "Dream up some good nightmares for me."

Unfortunately, she suspected that was exactly what would happen.


	6. Returning

**A/N: I forgot to mention in the last chapter, but there's a new poll on my profile where you can vote on what story you'd like to see updated more often, or vote for one of two other multichapters I haven't written yet.**

" _Find Xehanort, Terra. That is where you should begin."_ Yen Sid's advice echoed in his mind as he flew through the Lanes Between. The way the retired Master had spoken, he expected that Xehanort had something to do with the appearance of the Unversed. But how? And why? And what of the rumors he'd heard of Xehanort looking for hearts of pure light? None of it made any sense.

 _Hearts of pure light…_ His mind inevitably went back to Cinderella. It had been two days now since he'd left. How many days would it be before he could see her again?

 _Maybe never. Once I finish this mission, the Master will want me back at the Land of Departure again until I can pass the Mark of Mastery._ But after that… well, after that he would be able to go where he wished, wouldn't he? He could visit her then. If she still wanted him to.

He shook his head; it was useless to think about now. If he succeeded in the mission, then the Master might change his mind about the results of the Exam. That was his top priority.

" _Terra."_

Terra jolted at the voice, one that seemed to invade his mind. Strangely, he thought he recognized it. "Master Xehanort?"

" _Terra, come see me at once."_

Yes, that was definitely him. But how was he supposed to find-?

A strange feeling tugged on him, like someone had set a magnet in his chest. It pulled him to nudge his glider to the left.

 _Alright then, Master Xehanort._ He followed the feeling towards a distant star, one that appeared dimmer than most. _I hope you have some good answers for me._

XXX

He landed in a barren world and found the old Master waiting for him. He did have answers - though not ones Terra had expected. Apparently the Unversed came from a masked boy named Vanitas, and that wasn't all - Vanitas was the darkness in Ven's heart, split from him because of a horrible training accident. It had been the only way that Master Xehanort could save Ven. It was a lot to take in, but it did make sense. Terra still remembered the day that Xehanort had brought Ven to the Land of Departure; the boy hadn't remembered anything, but no one had ever told Terra why. There was still one more question that he needed to ask, though.

"Master… Why is Vanitas still free?"

"Ah yes. Well, I did my best to contain him the moment he emerged, but…"

It wasn't hard to guess what had happened. "He managed to escape."

Xehanort nodded. "Vanitas uses the keyblade to sow seeds of darkness. And now, you see - the worlds teem with his ghastly underlings."

"The Unversed," Terra muttered. It was hard to believe that so many monsters could come from one person - or one other monster - but it felt good to finally have someone to blame for unleashing them.

"He has no control over the darkness in his heart. The keyblade is not his to bear. He's an abomination beyond hope of salvation." Xehanort held out his hand. "Lend me your strength, Terra. Right this wrong that I have wrought."

"But I have no idea where to find him," Terra answered, though in his heart he had already agreed. If he were able to destroy Vanitas, destroy the Unversed, then Master Eraqus would surely have to change his mind. Then he would be worthy of the title of Keyblade Master.

"What I can tell you about Vanitas amounts to this - his darkness is drawn to the light, which he seeks to disrupt… and then destroy."

 _Destroy._ The word echoed in his mind, and suddenly his vision left him. What was going on? Was Xehanort doing this? His sight quickly came back, but what he saw didn't make sense.

 _Aqua, falling to her knees, battered in her armor-_

 _A masked boy, keyblade held high overhead, poised to strike-_

 _A blonde-haired girl, arms outstretched, facing down a terrible darkness-_

"Cinderella!" He shouted with a gasp. His real sight returned in time to see Xehanort recoil.

"Who is that, lad? You believe Vanitas would destroy her?"

"Would he?" Terra asked. "She's a heart of pure light."

That strange split-second vision - it had definitely been her, but what did it mean? Xehanort seemed confused by his outburst, so he probably hadn't caused it. Was it just a trick of his fear? Already it was fading; he could hardly recall the images. There had been something about Aqua too, wasn't there…? Well, Aqua was a Master. She could handle herself, assuming the strange vision meant anything at all.

"Hmm… I cannot say it is impossible, but I have reason to doubt it. One heart of light is less tempting than a city filled with it. It stands to reason that he will strike next in that city of light, Radiant Garden."

Maybe Xehanort was right. After all, there had been Unversed in the Castle of Dreams, and Cinderella had reported that they usually didn't bother her. That was strange in itself, if Vanitas really was drawn to destroy light.

"...Alright," Terra reluctantly replied. "Don't worry, Master. I'll take care of Vanitas."

 _Just as soon as I check on Cinderella first._

XXX

" _The keyblade is not his to bear. He's an abomination beyond hope of salvation."_

Vanitas squeezed his eyes shut, holding in the tide of Unversed that wanted to explode from him.

 _Monster. Freak. Abomination._ He didn't care if they were right. He was tired of hearing it, tired of feeling it. Maybe he should just merge with Aqua now, and end this. But no. Ventus was still the first choice; he held his face, held the other half of his memories. He could endure a little longer.

Vanitas crept down from the rock outcropping. He'd planned to ask Xehanort about Ventus's progress once Terra left, but if he faced the geezer now he wasn't sure he'd be able to contain his Unversed.

He left the Graveyard, those scathing words still burned into his memory.

XXX

"Cinderella!"

"Cinderella!"

" _Cinderellaaa!"_

Cinderella paused in arranging the dinner trays, trying to block the shouts from her mind. Deep breath. Everything was fine; this was the way it had always been. She could handle the shouts and the insults.

" _Things can always be worse. That doesn't make it okay for them to treat you badly."_ She remembered Terra's words from two nights ago. More and more, she was feeling inclined to believe him.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," she said, though she knew her stepmother and stepsisters couldn't hear. She balanced one tray on her head, the other two in her hands, and began the precarious walk into the hall and up the staircase.

"What's taking her so long? I bet my food's cold by now!"

"Hmph, if she even cooked it at all!"

 _I'd like to see_ you _try to prepare a meal on your own,_ she thought. It would likely end with the whole manor in flames. Or the three of them starving to death.

Lucifer tried to trip her on the stairs, but she sidestepped him with the effortless grace afforded her by practice. Gus peeked out from her pocket to blow a raspberry at him.

"Now, now, Gus," she chuckled, "let's be nice." Not that the cat deserved it, but provoking him would only mean more trouble for her mouse friends later, and she couldn't always be around to rescue them.

"I wish-a Ven-Ven come back," Jaq said from her other pocket. " _He_ not have-a be scared of Roos-a-fee. He strong, very strong!"

Cinderella sighed wistfully. "Yes, I wish he could have stayed too, but he did need to find his friend." He had stayed for one more night, but when she had told him she didn't plan on calling Terra for a while at least, he decided to continue his search elsewhere. She had wished she could help him, but she couldn't bring herself to try the magical link with Terra just yet. His mission was too important for her to distract him again so soon.

Besides, if she did, she wasn't certain her heart could weather another goodbye.

" _Cinderellllllla_!" Drizella called, and Cinderella realized she had been standing motionless at the top of the staircase.

"Cinderelly head still-a up in sky?" Jaq asked jokingly.

"If only I was," she mumbled mostly to herself, remembering the exhilaration of flying. She had relived that short flight with Terra in her dreams, but nothing could compare to the reality.

She delivered the evening meal to her stepmother and stepsisters without too much incident. Drizella accused her of stealing her hairbrush; Anastasia again gloated of how she'd danced with the prince; Stepmother handed her a list of extra tasks to be done before she went to bed. _Dust the ceilings,_ she noticed. How wonderful. She'd be staying up until midnight again tonight, and not in the company of any kind strangers this time.

"You two go get some rest," she told Gus and Jaq, letting them scramble down her arm onto the banister.

"What about you, Cinderelly?" Jaq asked.

"Yeah, uhh, you sleep too?" Gus stared up at her. She smiled.

"No, Gus. I have work to do. But you two have been so kind to stay with me all day."

"We just want-a you be happy, Cinderelly!"

"Yeah, like when you was with Terra," Gus added.

Her face heated in spite of herself. "Yes. Well. There's no need to worry about that. Go on, get to bed."

They gave her one last grin - one she couldn't read as anything but suspicious - and darted off towards one of their mouseholes.

"I can still be happy," she said to herself. That was one thing she always believed she could choose: her stepfamily might control her actions, but she could control her attitude. Whether or not Terra ever came back, she at least had that. And she'd always have those sweet memories, too.

" _Sing, sweet nightingale, sing sweet nightingale_ …" She sang to herself as she descended the stairs in search of her broom. The melody kept her mind off of her fatigue. " _Oh sing swee-"_

 _KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK._ Three raps on the door cut off her singing. Who would be here so late at night? Had the Prince really come to propose, as Anastasia kept claiming he would?

"Answer that, Cinderella!" Her stepmother called from above, even as Anastasia came flying from her room.

"No, wait! Let me do it! It's for me!"

"You're in your nightgown, Anastasia," Cinderella gently pointed out. Her stepsister paused halfway down the stairs before sprinting back up.

"The Prince can't see me like this! Where is my dress? You better have washed it already!"

Cinderella just shook her head and made for the door. She highly doubted it would actually be for Anastasia, but she also had no idea who it could be.

She pulled open the door with a polite "May I help-?" only to have the breath stolen from her lungs.

"Hey." Terra stood in the doorway, tall, dark, and handsome as ever. He was sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck as she stared. Had she fallen asleep during her chores? Was she dreaming? "Sorry to come by so late, uh, I can come back later if it's-"

"Who is it?" Drizella yelled from upstairs. "I know it's not for you!"

Cinderella slammed the door. With herself on the outside of it. If her stepfamily was really so inclined to find out who was here, they could come down themselves. Until then, this moment was hers.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, no, demanded. "If my stepfamily sees you, they'll-!" _They'll never let me see you again,_ she would have finished, if emotion hadn't closed off her throat.

"I'm sorry," he said, stepping back with a wince. "I should've thought before - I'll leave."

"What? Terra, no." She instinctively reached out for his hand, but then hesitated. "Forgive my outburst. I was just surprised to see you back so soon, and - why _are_ you back? Did you find the answers you were looking for?"

"Well, sort of." He sighed. "My mission's going to be even tougher than I thought, but I did learn some things. I know where the Unversed are coming from now."

"You do? That's good, isn't it?'' She asked, but his troubled frown said otherwise.

"I guess. There's a boy in a mask who controls them. His name is Vanitas. I was told he's looking to destroy light anywhere he can find it."

"That's… that's terrible."

Terra nodded. "That's why I had to come back. You have so much light in you, Cinderella. I had to make sure you were safe from him."

Her heart beat quickly; it still hadn't recovered from the shock of his sudden appearance. And just to make sure she was safe, too… "I'm alright," she assured him. "I haven't seen as many of those monsters nearby since the ball, though some people in town were saying they caused quite the commotion in the castle today."

"In the castle? But not here?" He frowned again. "Strange…"

"Well, the castle is the beacon of the kingdom. I suppose it makes sense."

"The castle isn't the brightest thing here; you are." He said it like an obvious fact. Her blush didn't seem to faze him. "If Vanitas's Unversed are here, they'll come for you."

"I don't understand. What kind of light do you think I have?" She asked.

He opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment the door slammed open. He stepped back from the porch as Anastasia came barrelling out, her magenta dress rumpled and her auburn hair flying everywhere.

"The prince is _mine,_ Cinderella! You can't-!" Her jaw dropped when she saw Terra. She looked him up and down once, then twice for good measure. Cinderella had to clear her throat before Anastasia finally asked, "Who are _you?"_

"Uhh…" Terra shared a look with Cinderella.

"He's, uh, the blacksmith's apprentice," she blurted the first lie that came to her mind. With those muscular arms of his, it would be believable. "I, um, put in an order for some new… fireplace pokers at the marketplace today. He just had a question about it."

"Fireplace pokers?" Anastasia sneered.

"Winter's coming. They're very important, you know. For starting fires." Cinderella forced a smile. Goodness, she hated lying. But if they knew Terra was her… her what? Her friend? Regardless, if they saw that she had time to spend with him, they would surely fill it with more meaningless chores.

"Hmph. I can't believe you got my hopes up for a blacksmith's apprentice." She stuck up her nose and strutted back inside - though she did cast another appreciative glance over her shoulder before slamming the door behind her. Cinderella let out the breath she'd been holding.

"I'm sorry about her," she said to Terra.

"Don't worry about me. I'm sorry I almost got you in trouble. Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

She stared into his eyes; it was easier to do that here, when he had retreated to the porch step below hers. He didn't need to do anything. Just letting her see him again was more than she would have asked for. But, since he _was_ asking...

Maybe she _could_ have some kind company again tonight.

XXX

"You're quite sure this isn't below the dignity of a knight?" Cinderella asked him a few hours later as she handed him a tall broom.

"I promise." He smiled, then stared up at the high ceiling of the foyer. "Your family really expects you to reach those cobwebs all by yourself?" That sounded more difficult than taking out the Unversed he'd been fighting for the past couple of hours. Though she had said she hadn't seen them, the woods around her house were still teeming with the monsters.

She fetched the ladder from a hidden closet and leaned it against the wall. "That and more. I'll still need to scrub the bathrooms before bed, but I doubt I can sneak you in most of those."

He grimaced. "And I thought chores in the Land of Departure were bad…" He'd never complain to Master Eraqus again. Not that he was often bold enough to.

"The Land of Departure? I haven't heard of that kingdom."

Terra froze. "Uhh…" He fished for a lie, then finally sighed. "At this rate you're going to find out all of my secrets."

She smiled almost slyly. "Does that mean you're going to finally tell me?"

"I wish I could. Honest. There's a lot of rules I have to follow though."

"Well, I suppose I have to respect that," she relented. Another ladder emerged from the closet, which she placed against the opposite wall. "Be careful, this one tends to wobble."

He nodded, and they took their positions atop their respective ladders. She was right; it did seem a little unsteady. He gulped and reminded himself that as a part of his armor, his boots has the special effect of protecting him from falls. Just as long as he made sure to land on them, and not his head.

Despite how ardorous and pointless the task was, Terra found himself enjoying it. They kept up a light conversation, always checking their volume to avoid waking her family. Even without her fancy ensemble and the magical atmosphere of the ball, Terra could feel Cinderella's light seeping into him, alleviating his frustrations and fears about Vanitas. He still didn't understand why the Unversed would have congregated at the castle, though - unless he had somehow heard that she was at the ball, and assumed she lived there? He doubted there could be anyone else with enough light in this world to attract the monsters. He decided not to worry about it too much at the moment; he was just glad she was safe.

Well, as safe as she could be while basically being enslaved to her family. There had to be something he could do about that, but he had no idea what. Helping with her chores for one night wouldn't do much in the long run, but at least it was something, he supposed.

"So, what do you usually do to pass the time while you're working?" He asked.

"Oh, I sing to myself, mostly." She stretched the broom high above her head, balancing precariously at the top rung of the ladder. Maybe he should lend _her_ his boots.

"Really? My friends and I like to do that sometimes when we clean together." Usually Ven would start it, belting out some pop song or another that had stuck in his mind in defiance of his memory loss. The younger boy had a better voice than himself and Aqua, but he insisted that they all sounded best when they sang together, and would sometimes pester them until they joined in.

Cinderella laughed. "That sounds lovely. I'd love to hear your voice sometime."

"Huh? Uh, I don't know-"

"Cinderelly! Cinderelly!" A tiny voice saved him from being forced to admit that his singing voice wasn't all that great. The voice belonged to a familiar red-shirted mouse running out from a crack in the baseboard. "Ven-Ven here! Ven-Ven want to see you!"

"Ven?" Terra nearly fell off of his ladder; he braced himself against the wall for balance. "Ven is _here?_ "

"Wait, you can understand Jaq?" Cinderella asked. "I thought I was the only one who could."

He shrugged. "I can hear the mice, but I didn't understand whatever the birds said to you the other day." He figured the keyblade had something to do with it, helping him understand other languages.

Cinderella looked relieved, for some reason. "Oh. Well, anyway, Ven said that he's been looking for you. I met him the same day I met you, but I didn't learn that he was trying to find you until you had already left. He taught me how to use your… what did he call it? 'Dee Link'?"

" _Terra!_ " Another tiny form dashed out of the hole in the wall. Terra did a double take at the unmistakable voice.

"Ven!" Terra climbed halfway down the ladder, then leapt the rest of the way to the ground. The impact shook the floor enough that mouse-sized Ven fell over, but Terra knelt down and scooped him up into his palms. "How did you get here? ...And how did you get so small?"

"That's what I'm asking!" Ven threw his arms in the air. "How come you still get to be big?"

"Maybe it's because you're so small to begin with. The world just thought you were closer to a mouse than a person." Terra grinned. He'd decided to just take this world's strange magic in stride.

"Oh, hah hah! Very funny!" Ven put his hands on his hips and stuck out his tongue. By that point Cinderella had descended her ladder and knelt down next to Terra.

"I'm so glad you made it," she said to Ven. "I wasn't sure the magic would work from so far away."

"Of course it would! Terra and Aqua and I use it all the time. Well, ever since she gave these to us a week ago, anyway." He pulled out his Wayfinder.

Terra put together what the two of them had said. "You made a D-Link with Cinderella too?" He asked Ven. Part of him felt a little bit hurt, though he knew it was irrational. It wasn't like one D-Link would overwrite the other.

"Uh-huh! She wanted to know how to make it work, so she'd be able to talk to you again. You're welcome." He grinned, but the expression then slid from his face like water off a leaf. "Can I talk to you alone now?"

Terra looked to Cinderella. "Do you mind if I step outside? I can come back and help finish up in a minute."

"Don't worry. You've already helped so much, I can handle it from here." She stood, holding her broom upright like a mage's staff. "Will you be staying in town, or do you need to leave again?"

"...It wouldn't be a bad idea to stick around," he decided. Master Xehanort had predicted Vanitas would strike in Radiant Garden, but that prediction could be wrong. He might get farther by checking out the castle here before flying off to a completely unknown world.

Cinderella smiled brightly. "Then I can meet you in the market tomorrow afternoon. I'll tell my stepmother I forgot one of the ingredients for supper."

"Sure," he found himself answering with a grin, before his mind could catch up to him. He needed to focus; Vanitas was still on the loose. Then again, Vanitas was still on the loose - so he could be looking to target Cinderella. Keeping close to her might be both his best way of finding him, and the best way of protecting her.

"Wonderful! Look for me around the butcher's shop when the clocktower strikes noon."

"I'll be there." He stood, wishing he could hug her goodnight, but Ven was still standing on his palms. The younger boy was grinning like he'd just won the lottery.

Terra bid Cinderella goodnight, hoping her chores wouldn't keep her up too late, and carried Ven outside. The air had chilled since he'd first arrived; they must have been cleaning for longer than he'd thought. He sat down on the steps of the porch, letting Ven stand on his knee. It was still difficult not to laugh at his friend's predicament.

"So, what's the matter?" He asked. "Did the Master send you to eliminate the Unversed and look for Master Xehanort too?"

"Huh? Uh, not _exactly…"_ He ruffled his hair, then sighed. "Don't laugh, but I was scared, okay? I wanted to make sure you were okay, after what that weird guy in the mask said…"

" _You saw the boy in the mask?"_ Terra demanded, his blood running cold. "Where was he? Did he hurt you?"

"Uh… no, all he did was say - it probably sounds stupid - but he said you were going to be a different person. Whatever that means." Ven scowled. "How do you even know him?"

 _He_ was going to be a different person? He didn't even know Vanitas; why would he say that? Unless it was just a taunt to get at Ven. But why hadn't he attacked? Ventus was apparently pure light, though Terra couldn't sense it the way he could the Princesses of Heart; he seemed like exactly the kind of person Vanitas would target. Unless it had something to do with them once being the same person?

"Terra?" Ven asked quietly. "He… he wasn't right, was he?"

"What?" Terra shook off his thoughts.

"About you being a different person." He looked up, his eyes earnest as ever in spite of their small size. "I went to the same worlds you did, and… there were some people who said you did things. Bad things."

Terra winced. What could he say to that? Ven had always looked up to him. For all of Aqua's joking, they _were_ like brothers; it was his responsibility to stay strong, to be a good example. But now Ven knew the truth.

"They… they were wrong, right?" Ven asked, pleaded. But Terra had to be honest with him about this.

"I did hurt someone," he admitted, dodging his friend's gaze. "Her name is Aurora. Maleficent controlled me somehow, made me… steal her heart. I wasn't strong enough to fight it." He shut his eyes tightly. "There really is darkness inside me. But I'm doing my best to fight it."

"Terra… I'm sorry."

He opened his eyes - that hadn't been what he'd expected Ven to say. Ven was so full of light; he'd expected him to be afraid, or hurt, or even disappointed, which might be worse than anything.

"I got her heart back from Maleficent," Ven smiled. "She's all better now."

"She is?" Terra asked. When Ven nodded, he grinned in relief. _She's safe…_ a guilt lifted from his shoulders. It didn't excuse what he'd done, but at least she would be alright. "I wanted to return to get her heart back myself, when I was stronger… but I'm glad you did, Ven. I'm proud of you."

The younger boy beamed at the praise. "I'm just glad she was lying. I knew you wouldn't do anything bad on purpose," he said, clenching a fist. "Maleficent and that masked guy didn't know the first thing about you."

That didn't alleviate any of Terra's concern. "But how did he find you?"

"I… I don't know. He was at the Land of Departure, the day of your Exam. I guess I just thought he came with Master Xehanort or something." He shrugged. "But you know who he is?"

"His name's Vanitas," Terra answered in a low voice. "He's the one behind the Unversed."

Ven made a choking noise. "What?"

"I found Master Xehanort, and that's what he told me. He gave me a mission to hunt him down."

"Then let me come with you!" Ven said. "He won't stand a chance against the two of us!"

Terra shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ven. I can't do that." He couldn't bring his friend into such danger, especially knowing what Vanitas really was. They may have avoided a fight once, but there was no telling what would happen a second time.

"Why not?" He asked, fist over his chest.

"I just can't. I don't want you to get hurt."

"What about you?" Ven demanded, though it was hard to take seriously when he was small enough to fit in the palm of Terra's hand. "What if you get hurt, Terra? Or if you hurt someone else?"

The words hit him like a spear through the chest. "...So that's what it is." He picked Ven up off his knee and set him on the porch before standing.

"Terra, wait! That's not what I meant!" Ven protested. "I just want to help! Why don't you ever let me help you?"

Terra wanted to snap something back, but then he saw Ven's face. More specifically, saw the tiny, almost invisible tears glinting in the moonlight.

 _Light, don't cry…_ He never could stay mad when Ven cried; all the anger dissolved to guilt. It didn't help that he could just imagine Cinderella looking out her window, seeing him yelling at a tiny boy.

"Ven…" He scooped him up in his palms again. "Hey. Actually, I do know a way you can help me."

He sniffed. "...You do?"

Terra nodded, forcing a smile. "So you heard I'm sticking around this world for a little while, right? There's been more Unversed here lately, so I think Vanitas might be here."

"So you are going to let me fight?" Ven's face brightened. Terra chuckled.

"Ven, you're the size of a mouse. What are you going to do, tickle him to death?"

"...Would that work?"

He laughed. "I've got a better idea. Xehanort says that Vanitas is trying to find and destroy light. I'm worried he might come after Cinderella."

"Hah, I was right!" Ven grinned knowingly. "You _like_ her, don't you?"

Terra froze. "What-! Why would you ask that?"

"Why are you blushing?" Ven asked smugly.

Terra glanced back at the door, as if Cinderella would suddenly appear to witness his embarrassment. Not that it should be embarrassing if he liked her. She was kind, and pretty even without the sparkling dress, and she made him feel like he could be the hero he wanted to be…

 _You are not helping your case,_ he told himself. "She's… my friend," he replied lamely.

"Your _girlfriend~"_ Ven sing-songed. Terra scowled and set him back on the porch.

"Goodnight, Ven." He started to walk away. He'd still need to find an inn tonight, unless he wanted to camp in the woods again.

"Wait! You never told me what you needed me to do!" Ven called, and Terra sighed.

"Keep an eye on Cinderella, alright? You D-Link with me if anything happens to her." It hurt his pride to ask for help, especially after Ven's teasing, but his ego would just have to handle it. It was the best way to keep both her and Ven out of trouble at the same time.

Ven saluted. "Don't worry, Terra! Your girlfriend's safe with me!"

Terra groaned one last time before jogging off into the night.

XXX

Vanitas jolted up in bed, his heart pounding erratically. What was going on? Had Aqua tried to escape? No, his Cursed Coach was rocking back and forth peacefully; he could make out her silhouette lying down with her back to him. Had one of his other large Unversed been destroyed? He'd left one in Radiant Garden; he reached out to it and felt it buzz faintly at the attention. Funny, he would've thought Terra would have attacked it by now.

 _If it's not the Unversed, then…_ He groaned as the feeling pounded in his chest. Light, pushing down on him from the outside, making it hard to breathe. _Ventus, you freak. What are you doing this time?_

He'd come up with tricks to block his heart from his other half's; most of the time they worked. But Ventus occasionally found ways to sneak through, usually when he was excessively, painfully _happy._

Stifling a grumble, Vanitas let down his safeguards and followed the feeling. It was almost like tracing an Unversed, if one that wouldn't obey him and made him burn when he tried to make contact. At least Ventus didn't know how to make it work the other way around.

A flood of sensations poured in from his other half: _relief joy worry hope Terra safe Cinderella gratitude-_

Vanitas gasped, pulling back from the onslaught of light. He only caught vague impressions and images, but it had been enough to know that he was with Terra. And he seemed to be on this world, of all places, which didn't make sense. Vanitas should have felt him more strongly if that were the case.

Whatever the reason, he grudgingly had to thank Ventus for the information. Terra was here. That wasn't good, not good at all. Xehanort expected him in Radiant Garden by now; Vanitas was going to suffer for failing to lure him there. And if Terra and Ven were here because they knew about Aqua…

His eyes darted to her sleeping form. He might have to take precautionary measures, but for now, the best strategy was to lay low. He didn't want to relocate just yet; moving her too far through the corridors could have dangerous side effects. He'd already used them to get her to this storage room in the first place, as well as to lead her to and from a spare bathroom as necessary. Each time she'd come out of the corridor nearly throwing up.

 _Hmph. Serves her right._ She had been particularly stubborn today, refusing to accept food and scribbling in her little book any time he tried to talk to her. Her willpower was impressive, honestly. He would've caved if someone had offered him the chocolate cake he'd had his Unversed steal from the kitchen today. Regardless, he didn't want to kill her - on purpose or on accident.

 _Why? Because she played pretend with you for one night? Well, playtime's over. Now she knows the real you, and she doesn't want anything to do with you. You knew that from the start._

 _Monster. Freak. Abomination._

"Shut up," he growled, pounding a fist against his helmet. Sleeping with the thing was irritating, but better than Aqua waking up and seeing his face. And it was still better to sleep here in a real bed than in the Keyblade Graveyard. Overall, things were still looking up.

 _Ventus, you better not blow this for me,_ he thought hard at his other half. That was when he realized: in the stream of impressions he'd received from Ventus, not one of them had been about Aqua. So they most likely weren't talking about her… but he had felt another thought, another name. _Cinderella._ Terra might have mentioned her in his talk with Master Xehanort, he thought. Vanitas had been a little more focused on other things.

" _He's an abomination beyond hope of salvation."_

He knew Xehanort was right. Maybe that was why it hurt.

 _Whatever. Mope later. Cinderella, why does she seem familiar?_ He tried to sort through the feelings he'd gotten from Ventus; they had come so quickly. But her name was associated with light, even more than usually came with Ventus's emotion-vomit.

 _Brighter than Ventus… no way._ She was that Princess of Heart, wasn't she? The one he'd seen Terra approach before the ball. He'd thought for sure that his Unversed would've scared her off. Was she the one he'd shown up to the castle with, too?

Someone important to Terra… important enough that he would come back here rather than continuing on to Radiant Garden…

Vanitas was still wearing a smirk when he finally fell asleep.


	7. Proving

**A/N: Another quick update, then I'll probably have to take a break for a little bit. I have to work on an original story for my creative writing class, so of course that's when my motivation to write fanfiction increases exponentially xD**

The third morning of Aqua's incarceration, she awoke before Void. The first rays of morning inched across the floor, lighting the motes of dust so they looked like floating stars. She breathed them in. After two days, she hardly felt how they tickled her throat.

Void snored softly. Funny, how relaxed he could sound. The cagelike Unversed - Void had called it a Cursed Coach - rocked peacefully, as if it really did share his emotions. Maybe she could use that. Somehow.

She took an empty potion bottle from the corner of her cage and used magic to spray it full of water. The previous day she had come up with fragments of a plan, which lay encoded in the pages scattered on the floor around her, but she still felt at an impasse. Her most hopeful step had been an utter failure. In the afternoon while Void had been gone, she had attempted to sneak out through the Cursed Coach's barred mouth, but the creature had constricted, slamming its ceiling down on her over and over until it broke through her Barrier spell. If Void knew what had happened, he hadn't said anything about it. He'd come back in a flying rampage, smashing crates and leaking out inky Unversed. She didn't know why, and she hadn't asked. She was simply grateful he hadn't attacked her.

 _Grateful?_ No. She wouldn't show gratitude to that monster. She was just relieved, perhaps.

She splashed the water from her bottle on her face, then swished the dregs around in her mouth. She could have waited for Void to wake and take her to the bathroom - which had looked ornate but abandoned, with white marble countertops layered in dust - but she shuddered at the thought of traveling through his dark portals again. Eventually she would grow desperate enough for a toilet, but she hated the way the darkness pressed in, like it wanted to push out all of her insides. If it didn't make her so weak, she would have relished the time in the bathrooms as a means to escape.

After performing that small bit of hygiene, she munched on a bag of granola she'd packed. Five days of rations left.

While one piece of her plan had proved useless, she still had at least two more ideas to attempt today. Unfortunately, those ideas all involved actually speaking with Void. And not just speaking - speaking _politely._ She could do it, but it chafed her pride to be forced to negotiate with a monster.

He snored again. The human sound still felt jarring, coming from him. It was a noise that could have as easily come from Terra or Ven. Maybe even in his sleep he was trying to manipulate her.

She was tempted to yell at him to wake up, but she needed him in a good mood for her request, so she waited. Her journal was going to run out of pages at this rate. She doodled her Wayfinder in it, then Terra and Ven's faces. Terra's head came out looking like a brick, and Ven appeared cross-eyed. It was so terrible she almost laughed.

 _Light, I hope they're doing better than I am._ Especially Ven. Terra she trusted to take care of himself, regardless of what the Master said, but Ven… she'd always felt an innate responsibility to protect him, like the little brother she'd never had.

Void didn't wake up until the sun came streaming in across his helmet - he _did_ sleep in it, remarkably. It reflected the light into her eyes, blinding her when she happened to look up.

"Ugh…" Void kicked the thick blankets off, and she realized he'd worn his boots to sleep, too. She had slipped hers off the day before and hadn't bothered to replace them, considering she probably wouldn't be walking outside for a little while. "Gotta block out that window…"

He stumbled out of bed, out of her line of sight, presumably to the source of the light. She heard sounds of cracking wood, and then the light disappeared in patches until she could hardly see. She lit a Fire to hover nearby, agitating the Cursed Coach. It swelled up to twice its size in order to put more distance between itself and the flames. _I should have tried this when I tried to escape._

"Great. You're awake. Don't suppose you're going to talk to me today, either," he mumbled. She wasn't sure that he intended for her to hear, but she responded anyway.

"I am, actually." She cleared her throat, gathering her courage. He perched on the footboard of the bed, knees bent, the ends of his skirt hanging down by his feet.

"Alright then, spit it out. I don't have all day."

"I want to see Vanitas," she said. She doubted he would accept her request, but it was worth a try before she made a more reasonable pitch.

He snorted. "So you two can try to make an escape plan together? I don't think so."

"What could we do? You'd be right there watching us," Aqua retorted.

"You're a prisoner. You don't get to make demands. Besides, what makes you think he'd even want to see you? You're the one who got him stuck in this mess."

She bit her lip. She shouldn't let Void's words get to her, even if they were true. "Then let me apologize to him. He deserves that much."

He laughed wickedly. "That idiot deserves a punch in the face. Beg all you want, _Aqua,_ it's not going to happen."

A frown parted her lips at his words. His voice, the way he'd said that… She had to be imagining things, but for half a second, it had reminded her of Vanitas. Maybe she just missed him more than she'd thought.

"Then how do I know you even have him?" She asked boldly. Void didn't respond immediately. She could only assume he was staring at her through that dark mask of his. "You leave from time to time, but you never mention checking on him. All your complaints are about different worlds, or you just break things. I don't think a harmless boy would make you so angry."

Void chuckled. "He's not as harmless as you think."

Aqua wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, if it meant anything at all. "I asked you a question, _Void."_

He shrugged. "Alright. Fine. You want to know I've got him? Write him a letter. I'll give it to the brat, let him write you one back."

She let a smile pull the corner of her lips. "I suppose that will work." She held out two sheets of paper that she'd been sure to keep safe and unwrinkled.

"What are you-?" He laughed, and his next words sounded almost impressed. "That was your plan all along, wasn't it. You knew I wouldn't let you see him."

She flashed a knowing smile as one of his Scrappers appeared and stole away the pages, taking them back to its master. She had scored one point against Void. Thinking about it that way gave her hope - it was almost like a game.

And as Terra and Ven could attest, Aqua was ruthless at games.

XXX

" _Vanitas. I need to speak with you at once."_

Really? Now? He had just corridored to a secluded part of the woods in the Castle of Dreams, where he could read Aqua's letter in relative peace. Of course, he should have predicted that Xehanort would summon him early today. If Terra hadn't moved on to Radiant Garden, Vanitas would be the one taking the blame. As usual.

He folded the sheets of paper into a tight square and tucked it in his belt, then opened a dark corridor to the Keyblade Graveyard.

"Vanitas," Xehanort snapped before he had fully emerged from the darkness. Then the Master flashed forward and gripped the front of his helmet. "I gave you an order. Why have you disobeyed me?"

Vanitas stayed very, very still, hoping Xehanort wouldn't shatter his helmet again. Last time the shards had nearly stabbed him in the eyes. "I didn't. Terra just didn't take the bait."

"Then make the bait more enticing. I don't have time to deal with stubborn children."

"What, is your body giving out on you already?" Vanitas replied snidely. He should've known better. Did know better. But he couldn't put the sarcastic words back in his mouth.

Then his helmet was frosting over. He had just enough time to squeeze his eyes shut before the dark glass shattered, sprinkling to the ground and inside the metal piece cupping his chin. One shard cut a thin line across his cheek. "You tell me, _boy."_

Vanitas swallowed. Xehanort would be able to see his face now; that was always dangerous. A few Floods of fear attempted to escape him, but he held them back by practice and sheer force of will.

"I get the message," he muttered. "But it still isn't my fault. Terra came back to the Castle of Dreams."

"The Castle of Dreams?" Xehanort clasped his hands behind his back. "How do you know this?"

"Through Ventus. I felt him there and got a few clues. Does the name Cinderella mean anything to you?" Of course, Vanitas already knew what it meant, but it would be best to keep that to himself.

"Bah. That girl he mentioned, the Princess of Heart. I trust you've kept an eye on her?" He asked in a voice that indicated he didn't trust him at all.

"Of course I have. I used her light just the other day, didn't I? I think she and Terra went to some fancy ball at the castle there."

"And you didn't tell me before?"

Vanitas kept a cold glare on his face, a mask to hide his more traitorous emotions. "You didn't ask."

"Hmph." Xehanort flicked his wrist and shot an electric shock through him, nothing too damaging - just enough to make him feel like his skin was going to melt off. He suppressed a scream but didn't bother casting Cure; that would only make Xehanort do it again. "You were supposed to drive Terra and Ventus apart. Now they are together with this _Cinderella_. Fix this, Vanitas. You have three days."

Three days? Coming from Xehanort, that was almost generous, but Vanitas still wasn't sure it would be enough. The old man didn't seem like he intended to give him a more specific plan. "Does that mean I have permission to hurt your vessel?"

"For every scar you leave on him, expect to receive one yourself," Xehanort threatened calmly. "But you may engage him in combat. Do _not_ fight Ventus. He still lacks the strength he needs to become the X-Blade."

"I know that." Vanitas rolled his eyes, then remembered that Xehanort could now see the expression. He was just glad the old man didn't shock him again for it. "What about the girl?"

"The Princesses of Heart must also be protected, in case all else fails." Vanitas was surprised to hear the Master admit that his plans had a chance of failure. He always sounded so confident, but maybe that confidence came from having many plans rather than one foolproof one. Still, it was uncomfortable to think that forging the X-Blade might not be Xehanort's only priority. "However, if threatening her would cause Terra to step closer to the darkness, you may do so. Do not fail me again."

Vanitas bit his tongue - not trusting it not to betray him - and nodded.

"And one more thing, Vanitas." Of course. Xehanort couldn't let him go without another dose of drama.

"What?"

His golden eyes glowed dangerously. "The Castle of Dreams is where you destroyed Aqua, correct?"

Vanitas held his breath, but nodded again.

"I wonder," Xehanort began slowly, "If Terra and Ventus are aware of this fact? Could that, and not just the Princess, be why they have not moved on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Perhaps they believe she is missing. I doubt they would believe the newest Keyblade Master is dead without seeing the evidence. As I find myself doubting."

A Flood started to sprout from his back; he took a deep breath and pulled it back in. "I told you, I took care of her." It was easier to keep his face blank for the half-lie rather than a full one.

"Then where is her keyblade?" Xehanort asked. "I had presumed you would bring it back here, where it belongs."

"I was the one who killed her. I can keep it wherever I want," he snapped. Xehanort responded with another pulse of electricity; Vanitas fell to one knee, bracing himself with his fist against the ground.

"I will allow you your little trophy," Xehanort replied calmly, as if he hadn't just sent thousands of volts through Vanitas's system. "But first you will show it to me. As a token of trust. Do you understand, boy?"

Vanitas spat on the dusty ground. "Yeah."

"Leave, and return here at once."

He didn't need to be told twice. He opened a corridor behind him and staggered to his feet, but looked back before leaving.

"I hate you."

Xehanort smiled, the expression contorting his face so it looked even more wicked than usual. "I would be concerned if you did not."

Hate would protect him. Hate would make him stronger. Vanitas remembered the Master's teachings even as he wanted to punch that smile off of his leathery face.

Repressing that violent impulse, he spun and vanished into the darkness.

XXX

Vanitas barely remembered to reform his mask before bursting from the dark corridor. When Aqua pressed herself to the back of the Cursed Coach, he realized how terrifying he must look. Unfortunately, he didn't have time to worry about putting her heart at ease.

"Give me your keyblade," he ordered, grabbing the bars of her cage. He was growing used to the scent of her light, but it still burned through him at such close range, like inhaling a perfume straight from the bottle. At least his mask protected him a little. He couldn't afford to let the sharp floral scent affect him now.

"Why?" She put on a brave face and asked. "Did something happen with Vanitas? Do you have his letter for me?"

"There's no time for that now," he replied, about to lose his patience. Floods and Hareraisers were already peeling off of him, dispersing through the room and running off through their own little corridors of darkness, probably on their way to find Terra and Ventus. So much for laying low.

"Then I don't have time to give you my keyblade." She crossed her arms.

Vanitas growled deep in his throat. A Bruiser ripped out of his back, taking some of his anger with it, but not enough. "Look, there is _really_ no time for this! Just give it!"

She glared hard enough, she probably could've cast Fire from her eyes. "Make me."

He wanted to scream. She knew he couldn't do it, she knew she was too important for him to hurt. She wasn't supposed to have realized that yet. He'd been too soft. He summoned electricity to his palm, thinking about trying Xehanort's tactic - then imagined her face contorted with the same agony that had taken him minutes before, her lips parted in a wordless scream. The lightning died at his fingertips.

 _What is wrong with me!?_ He wanted to scream, but couldn't let her see that much weakness. Instead he slammed his fist into the side of the Cursed Coach, wincing when its pain became his own.

"Look, _Aqua._ If you want to live, you _will_ hand over your keyblade, or so help me I will come in there and pry it from your cold, dead fingers."

A flicker of fear passed over her face, then was gone. "Then why don't you? Are you afraid to fight me?"

Unversed were still spilling from him, dozens of Floods and Scrappers at a time, proving his words wrong. Threats weren't getting him anywhere; she wasn't even flinching at his Unversed. He heard Xehanort's voice in the back of his head ordering him to return to the Graveyard.

"Aqua, _listen to me_. If you don't let me borrow your keyblade, we're both dead."

For some reason, that got her attention. "What do you mean, we're _both_ dead?"

Vanitas blinked. He'd admitted more than he'd meant to. But he'd worry about those consequences later. "I mean exactly what I said. I just need it for a few minutes. Hand it to me, and don't you _dare_ summon it back until I return."

After a moment of agonizing silence - broken only by Xehanort's incessant calls - Aqua held out her hand. A cobalt blue blade appeared there, one he had never seen up close. She pointed the tip towards him, then reluctantly flipped it to offer the hilt.

He snatched it before she could change her mind. "Remember. _Do not_ let it disappear."

She nodded, still staring at him with cold, hard eyes. Void, but that expression looked good on her. If only it weren't directed at him.

He shook the irrelevant thought from his head and fled through another corridor.

XXX

"Here." Vanitas plunged Aqua's keyblade into the hard-packed dirt. "Happy?"

"Hmm… I suppose that will do." Xehanort gave a curt nod. "It seems our newest Master was not as qualified as Eraqus assumed."

"She put up a good fight," Vanitas found himself defending her, even though it was a lie. Unless the way her light speared his heart counted.

"I should hope so. Yet Ventus and Terra will have to prove more worthy opponents, if they are to fulfill their uses." He paced slowly in front of Vanitas. "Strengthen your Unversed. Use the rage I have given you. Push Terra and Ventus to their limits."

 _Yes, Master,_ Vanitas mouthed sarcastically behind his helmet. Because it would kill the geezer to actually perform part of his plan himself.

 _Whatever. Just wait til I forge the X-Blade…_

XXX

Aqua might not have breathed in the whole time it took for Void to return. Every muscle in her body stayed taut, ready to fight or flee if the situation demanded. At least the Unversed had all disappeared without harming her, though she had no idea where they had gone off to.

After several long minutes, a watered-down sense of nausea as well as the _whoosh_ of an opening portal announced Void's arrival. He walked through, his shoulders slumped from his usual arrogant posture. He tossed her keyblade back to her without a word; it skidded on the Cursed Coach's floor.

"Void…?" She asked as she picked up her blade. It felt the same as normal, though she wasn't sure how she would tell if he had tampered with it. "What happened?"

She was surprised at how gentle the words came out. He didn't deserve her sympathy; this was probably all some kind of trick anyway. But she still felt like the pieces didn't add up.

"So now you want to get chatty," he grumbled. She wouldn't call three words "chatty,"but she _had_ given him the silent treatment the previous day, once she'd realized that he wouldn't answer any of her direct questions.

"There's someone else behind this," she voiced her theory. He snorted noncommittally. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"I'm the only one you need to worry about. To everyone else, you're dead."

"Like I would really lose to someone like you," she retorted, her brief moment of sympathy disappearing with the return of his arrogance.

"But Aqua - you already have."

He faded into the darkness again. She hadn't even had time to ask about Vanitas. Had Void delivered her letter? And why had he needed her keyblade? There were too many things she was missing, too many things that she couldn't see through her barred window.

If this was a game, she wished she knew the rules.

XXX

Vanitas sat in the crook of a familiar tree, close to the edge of the woods, and kept his eyes trained on Cinderella's house. Mansion, more like. Who else lived there with her, or did she have a whole house to herself? He'd never seen anyone else outside.

Just like he didn't see anyone outside now. He figured if he was going to find Terra, the easiest way would be to find the girl. Unless Xehanort was right, and he really _was_ looking for Aqua… well, Vanitas would fix that. Terra wasn't half as bright as the Master; all Vanitas would have to do was tell him that his friend was dead, and his darkness would overflow before he could blink. And of course, if that failed, he could always threaten Cinderella. It was nice to have a few backups.

Now, if only someone would show up…

He sighed and let out Monotrucker in irritation. The rolling Unversed dropped to the ground and wheeled off into the forest. That wasn't a bad idea, actually - he released a larger horde of Unversed, hissing as their negativity bubbled out of him.

"No, not the woods, idiots." He rolled his eyes at them, then pointed towards the mansion. "That way. Terra will have to show up if you make a big enough mess."

The motley group of Unversed obligingly lumbered, dashed, and rolled off. He watched a few Hareraisers dig up the garden before turning his mind to more interesting things. Namely, the letter he had tucked inside his belt.

He searched for it with his fingers, panicked for half a second when he felt nothing, then sighed in relief when he found it. If he had dropped that in the Keyblade Graveyard… he shuddered. He might be important to Xehanort's plan, but the old Master would still murder him if he saw a friendly letter from Aqua.

He unfolded the two pages and began to read.

 _Void - I know you're reading this._

Vanitas's eyes widened; had she guessed so quickly?

 _I'm not stupid. You wouldn't give this letter to Vanitas without making sure we're not planning anything first. So I might as well tell you that as soon as I get out of here, you're going to pay if you've hurt him._

He chuckled, half from relief that she was still clueless, half from the irony. She was threatening him for hurting himself. And while she was still a helpless prisoner, too. He had to give her points for boldness.

 _I don't know why you're doing this, and I know you won't answer my questions if I ask. But I'm going to ask anyway, because what else do you expect me to do while I'm trapped here?_

 _What do you want with my light? What did you mean about Terra falling into darkness? How do you know us, and why do you care? Why are you releasing your Unversed on the worlds?_

He could practically feel the desperation coming off of her words. Funny, after she had been so silent yesterday. She must have poured all the words she would have said into this letter. Well, maybe it wouldn't hurt to give her a tease of an answer, a taste. A reward if she would behave.

 _Whatever you're after, you won't win. Light is always able to push back the darkness._

Vanitas rolled his eyes at that. Spoken just like her light-crazed Master. Why was he still bothering with her?

Those were the only words on the first page. He flipped it over, just in case there was something on the back, but that was it. He snorted. Did she expect that last line to mean something? Convert him from his dark ways? If anything he was even more determined to prove her wrong.

Folding the first page, he tucked it away and smoothed out the second one. His heart sped up before he even began reading, the stupid thing. He wasn't afraid, or angry, so what was wrong with it? Whatever, he would worry about it later.

 _Dear Vanitas,_

 _First of all, I want you to know that I am so, so sorry. You must be so scared and confused right now. I don't know what Void has told you, if he's told you anything at all, but I owe you an explanation. As much of an explanation as I can give, anyway. I don't know why he kidnapped us for sure. He wants something with my light, and I think he took you to get to me. Again, I'm so sorry you were dragged into this. I_ _promise_ _I will find a way to get you out._

 _So a little bit of an explanation. I'm not really supposed to talk about this, but you deserve to know. I'm not actually from this world. I don't think Void is either. I'm a Keyblade Master, and the weapon Void has is a keyblade, too. It's very dangerous, so_ _do not_ _think about fighting him. Please._

 _...He said you put up a fight when he tried to kidnap me, though. What did you do? Do you know a secret to fighting him? Nevermind, I'm sure Void is reading this letter, so don't answer that. If he even lets you read it._

 _Speaking of which, when you write back - I hope you're not too mad at me to write back, though if you are, I understand - can you include something so I know it's you? Something that Void wouldn't know. I don't trust him not to forge a letter from you._

 _I'm sorry again. I can't say I'm sorry enough. If I had told the truth about being a Keyblade Master before, you might have known better than to spend the evening with me. I was trying to follow the rules, but I think I was being selfish, too. I really enjoyed spending time with you…_

 _I really hope you're alright, wherever Void is keeping you. I wish there was more I could do to help you. If there is anything I can do - if there's anything Void will let me do - I'll do it._

 _Hang in there, Vanitas. I'll think of something._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Aqua_

…

…

Vanitas stared at the page, his eyes searching for more words, even though both sides of the paper were completely filled with squished but neat handwriting. He was… he didn't know what he was. Stunned? Dumbstruck? Whatever the strong feeling was, it didn't produce an Unversed, which was unusual.

 _Void's Abyss. She really does care._ About someone who didn't really exist. Sure, "Vanitas" might share his name, but that one unmasked night already felt like eons ago. He might not have even lived it.

Except, if he closed his eyes, he could still feel the phantom sensation of her hand in his, of her warm arms around him…

He spun and punched the rough trunk of the tree. Beneath his suit, he could feel the skin scrape from his knuckles. _Stupid, stupid idiot!_ He didn't know if he was cursing himself for punching the tree, or for letting himself remember Aqua's touch, or both. He should forget that night. It never should have happened. All it had done was show him what he could never have, and now he would spend the rest of his pathetic life wanting it back.

No, not the rest of his life. He'd forge the X-Blade, and then he could take back whatever he wanted. He would have light; he would be whole. He would be stronger than anyone.

But, even then, would Aqua look at him the way she had that night?

 _I won't need her to. I'll have my own light._ That was the only reason it felt so good to be around her _._ Right?

A Scrapper was scaling his tree, its giant claws sticking into the bark as it hauled itself upward.

"What is it?" Vanitas demanded, reaching down to grab its head and drop it on the limb he was perched on. "Can't you idiots do your job without me?"

The Unversed hugged itself with one arm, pointing towards Cinderella's mansion with the other. Vanitas glared at the large building and registered the tall brunette running towards it. Moments later he felt the slices of a keyblade striking down his Unversed, like cutting off a hundred phantom limbs. Vanitas hissed; the closer he physically was when the monsters were destroyed, the more it hurt.

"Took you long enough, Terra." He folded Aqua's letter and returned it to his belt. His hands itched to summon his keyblade; it would feel so good to release his frustration on the bigger apprentice, instead of in the form of Unversed.

But he couldn't. Not yet. Xehanort always said he was too reckless, too focused on immediate gratification to see the bigger picture. Vanitas thought they just had different ideas of what the bigger picture actually was. Regardless, he would prove he could carry out this mission.

After all, his life depended on it.


	8. Deciding

**A/N: I haven't had a lot of notes to add on these chapters lately, but I want to say thank you guys for all the reviews! It always makes my day!**

Terra skidded to a stop outside Cinderella's house. When he'd felt Ven's D-Link, he knew something had to be wrong - he'd thought Vanitas might have shown up, or maybe Cinderella's family had done something out of hand. But he hadn't expected a whole horde - practically a whole army - of Unversed, charging the doors of the manor. Not just the doors; they were breaking through the windows, tearing apart the garden, climbing the stone walls.

Terra didn't think twice. He charged into the mass of monsters, not caring that there had to be at least a hundred of them, the largest horde he'd ever seen in one place. If even one of them got to Cinderella...

 _Vanitas, you are going to pay for this,_ he vowed as he cut through the Floods on the fringes of the mob. That got their attention. The Bruisers and Scrappers closer to the doors turned in time to catch a strike raid to the face.

From there, all hell broke loose as the dozens and dozens of Unversed swarmed him. They pressed in close; he barely had room to swing his keyblade. Bruisers charged; Scrappers scratched; Hareraisers slapped - in no time he had a collection of cuts, bruises, and welts. He tried to activate his armor, but a Blue Sea-Salt froze his hand before he could. He hissed and clenched his fist, shattering the ice that encased it.

 _Shake it off,_ he told himself. Feeling returned to his hand as he stabbed a Bruiser through its fat stomach, only for two more to take its place. _There's just so many!_

He wasn't sure he could beat them all. As even more of the monsters appeared out of nowhere, his doubts multiplied. The best plan would be to take them out at their source: Vanitas. But if he fled to track down the boy, the Unversed would take down Cinderella's house for sure.

He shouted with anger, striking down a pair of Blue Sea-Salts with a Quick Blitz. A surge of power washed over him as his Critical Impact command style activated.

That would even up the odds. He dashed across the battlefield, leaping, flipping, slamming his keyblade into the monsters. But still, impossibly, they kept coming, appearing out of nowhere, landing blows on his back and sides. One Monotrucker cut a gash down the back of his calf. He cast a hasty Cure, but it was broken by the whip of a Thornbite's vines before it could take effect.

Snarling in pain, he spun and destroyed the monster, but it was useless - more were still pressing in; he couldn't escape fast enough with the searing pain in his leg. It took all his effort not to collapse to one knee. If only his Cure would reload-!

" _Terra_!" He heard a voice from the window. Though he couldn't look up, he knew it was Cinderella.

"Stay inside!" He shouted back. "I've got this!"

He wished he felt as confident as he sounded. He wished that she didn't have to watch him get his butt kicked. But while wishing and believing were sometimes enough, he didn't think this was one of those times.

Pivoting on his good leg, he cast Fire, then Strike Raid, clearing himself a bit of space. The power built inside him, leading up to his Finish Command, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to pull it off without damaging himself further.

A Red Hot Chili swept in from above, launching a fireball; he ducked to the side so it only grazed his shoulder. But even just a graze from a ball of fire hurt like Hades. It distracted him enough for a Bruiser to slam into him from behind, knocking him flat on his face. His keyblade skidded across the patchy grass.

"Terra!" This time it was Ven's small voice that called, but his friend wouldn't be able to help him now. "Cinderella, wait! You can't go out there!"

 _What?_ Terra rolled to his side, in time to see past the gang of Scrappers lunging towards him. Cinderella was running out into the fray, armed with nothing but a broom she held like a quarterstaff.

"Cinderella!" He yelled, casting a weak Thunder spell to knock back the incoming Unversed. He tried to get to his feet, but his bleeding leg wouldn't support him.

"What does she think she's _doing_?" One of the stepsisters yelled.

"She's going to get herself killed! How stupid!"

"Well, that's her problem. I'm staying right here!"

Terra started to see red - and not just from the pain. Her family might not care if she lived or died, but he did. And he was _not_ going to let that happen.

Rising to one knee, he summoned Earthshaker back to his hand. Then with all the power, all the anger and pain and fear he possessed, he slammed it into the ground.

A wave of dirt flew up, exploding outward from the impact. The shockwave pushed the Unversed back and also knocked Cinderella to the ground in the middle of swinging her broom. He wanted to make sure she was alright, but the monsters were the bigger threat right now.

But he could still hardly move. He needed to end this quickly, before he lost too much more blood. And before Cinderella got really hurt.

His Cure reloaded, and he cast it, barely staunching the flow of blood down his leg. The Unversed were back on their feet and rushing towards him again. Good. Let them come. Whatever kept them away from her.

But he still needed a plan. A real plan, not just stalling until his strength finally failed him. He just - he just needed to be _stronger -_

Cinderella cried out in pain. One Scrapper had clawed the side of her brown dress; she smacked it over the head with her broom. It staggered, but kept coming for her as her sisters pointed and laughed from the window.

Rage swallowed him. And suddenly he had the strength he needed.

A dark energy pooled at the tip of his keyblade, then erupted into orbs that shot after the Unversed, obliterating them on contact. Cinderella skipped back, narrowly avoiding the one that destroyed the Scrapper she was fighting.

Terra kept feeding the keyblade, pouring his energy into it, and it didn't fail him. The dark projectiles kept firing until the last Unversed was nothing more than a wisp of blue smoke.

Then, at last, he collapsed back to the ground, too exhausted to consider the implications of what he'd just done.

XXX

Vanitas gasped for breath, nearly screaming when the last of his negativity returned to him. So many Unversed… he'd poured everything he had into them - all his rage at Master Xehanort, all his fear that Aqua would escape, all his jealousy for Ventus. And Terra had _still_ nearly beaten them without calling on the darkness.

The emotions burned within him, still hot from their brief jaunt in the physical world. They wanted out again, but Vanitas wouldn't let them. Couldn't let them. If Terra destroyed any more, the pain might break him. Even if Terra was unconscious as he seemed, just letting the Unversed out again so soon could break him. He hadn't created this many at once since the early days of his training, when Xehanort was first testing his limits. When he didn't know how to hold in his fear and rage and hurt. When he'd hated his creations, killing them over and over, destroying pieces of himself...

He stumbled farther into the forest, flung off his helmet, and threw up. He hadn't had nearly enough food today - had he eaten anything at all? - and it was mostly acidic bile that came up. He grimaced and wiped his mouth, resolving to steal a toothbrush today. And some more food.

Aqua would need to eat soon, too. She couldn't have much food left on her. And he hadn't taken her to the bathroom all day - maybe he should move her to that room he'd found that connected to the bathroom. That would make his job a lot easier, even if it was a little less secure. Void, but taking care of another person was annoying. It was hard enough keeping himself alive.

He took a moment to breathe, hands on his knees. Sweat clung to his face, and he felt a little like throwing up again, but he would be alright. He would be fine. He'd succeeded in the mission - Terra was sure to run off again after giving in to the darkness like that. He wouldn't find Aqua. And Ventus… he still felt close, but the connection was fainter than usual. Well, if his other half stuck around, he'd find a way to deal with him. It had been easy enough the first time.

As a reward for a job well done, he allowed himself a quick power nap… which turned into more of a regular nap. It was was late afternoon by the time his grumbling stomach woke him up. Oh well, he was sure Aqua hadn't missed him.

He picked up his helmet and stuffed it over his hair, which was caked in sweat. Maybe he should make use of the castle's running water today. It was a luxury he hadn't thought about until he'd overheard Aqua muttering about needing a shower the previous day.

He opened a dark corridor and emerged in the castle's storage room -

Where he found Aqua lounging in the corner of the Cursed Coach, with some kind of interactive _board game_ of all things spread out on her lap. She didn't even look up when he entered.

"Glad to see you're entertaining yourself," he said, letting the annoyance seep into his voice. Even when she was a prisoner, her life was still cake compared to his. "Get up. We're moving."

"Moving?" That got her attention. She pressed a button, and the little illusions running around her game board faded. He didn't get a good look, but he thought one of them was Ventus. That thing couldn't let her talk to her friends, could it? He frowned and resolved to check it out later. "Moving where?"

"Does it matter?" He snapped. "It's not like you have a choice."

She frowned but stood anyway. "Has Vanitas written me a letter yet?"

Void, she wasn't going to let that drop, was she? "Look, my life doesn't revolve around you two," he said as he opened a giant corridor, one large enough to fit the Cursed Coach through. "I've been too busy to deliver your letter."

"Busy doing what? Kidnapping other innocent people?"

Knowing it would annoy her, he left through the corridor before answering. He had to make sure no one had suddenly decided to clean up the unused bedroom overnight, though he doubted anyone would. From his brief exploration, he'd deduced that it used to be the queen's extra chambers, but clearly there was no queen around anymore. It was closer to the heart of the castle, but still isolated in its own wing. And if anyone decided to bother them there, he could always take care of them and move again.

As expected, it was dusty and empty as ever. And, conveniently, it had its own bed, if one that had a second blanket of dust on top of the comforter.

He returned to guide the Cursed Coach through the portal, and Aqua repeated her question. "What have you been so busy doing?"

 _Keeping you alive,_ he wanted to snap. _And pushing your friend into the darkness._ But she didn't need to know either of those things.

"Brace yourself," Vanitas warned her, then jumped and grabbed onto the Cursed Coach's side as it rolled through the corridor. He caught her face through the window, teeth clenched, face greenish in the ethereal lighting of the portal. She wasn't made to travel this way. Her armor might have protected her, but he feared she would use the corridors as a way to escape if he told her that. If she ran off here, she could end up spat out anywhere in the worlds. Knowing his luck, she'd probably end up on Master Xehanort's doorstep.

It wasn't long before light engulfed them on the other side. Even through the heavy rose-print curtains, this room was much better lit than the storage area.

"Where are we?" Aqua asked, squinting against the light.

"Your new bedroom," he answered, forgetting to be mysterious. "Bathroom's connected. No more dark corridors every time you need to pee or something."

Red flushed her face, replacing the green tinge. "How thoughtful. Now I'm in a prison with indoor plumbing." She sneezed; the Cursed Coach had kicked up a fair amount of dust on its way in. "Would it kill you to clean every once in a while?"

He shrugged. "Not my castle, not my problem."

He realized too late - when a smile flickered on her face - that he'd given away too much.

"So we're in a castle, and it doesn't belong to you. Could it be that we're still in the Castle of Dreams?"

As if he was going to be stupid enough to answer that. "How much food do you have left?"

She frowned. "Enough to last until I get out of here."

He opened a corridor. "Suit yourself, but I'm getting a hot lunch today. See you later, _Aqua."_

She was calling something behind him - he didn't catch what - as he left, dropping out of his corridor in the air above the queen's wing. He angled his fall and caught hold of the top of a column.

Sure enough, he couldn't hear Aqua from here. The castle's thick walls were good for more than just looking fancy. He spied over the hall, but it was as abandoned as before. He nodded to himself, dropped - only stumbling a little at the impact; he blamed his exhaustion and hunger - and crept off in search of food.

He was nearly to the populated area of the castle when he heard voices. One loud voice in particular.

"Now, son, you know it's vital to our kingdom that you find a wife-"

"Yes, yes, Father, you've _told_ me. At least eighty times now."

The voices were coming closer; Vanitas shimmied up another column rather than risking them hearing his dark corridor open.

"Well, only because you never listen! What about that young woman you danced with at the ball?"

"Which one?"

"Lad, you can't tell me you don't remember! You only danced with two, and even _I_ wouldn't have you marry that Tremaine girl."

Vanitas risked a look down, and nearly laughed in surprise. The younger one was obviously the prince, which made the short and fat one the king.

"I already told you, Aqua left. She disappeared with that young man."

 _That's me, loser,_ Vanitas thought proudly.

"Yes, and how I wish I could wring his neck for it!" The king's face turned the color of a Red-Hot Chilli.

"Now, Father-"

"Don't ' _now, Father'_ me! It was completely - completely _indecent_ of him is what it was! If it weren't for him, you and that blue-haired girl would be wed by now!"

Vanitas's earlier nausea returned at that. How likely was it that the king would notice it if he threw up on his head?

" _Father,"_ the prince said sternly, stopping in the middle of the hallway. "I've had enough of this. If you have run the kingdom on your own for so many years since Mother passed away, then I can handle it until I find the woman I desire to marry. However long that may be."

He spun and strode away, leaving the king gaping.

"Well - well. No _wonder_ he can't find a woman to marry, with a temper like that…!"

Vanitas suppressed a snicker until the king finally waddled off.

The prince could keep looking for a girl somewhere else. Aqua was never going to be his.

XXX

"Terra? Oh, please, let him be waking up…"

"Hey, I think he's moving! Terra! Wake up!"

His eyes blinked open slowly, only to see Ven - still mouse-sized - standing on top of his chest.

"Gah!" Terra nearly tumbled off of the couch he was lying on. Wait, how had he gotten on a couch? Wasn't he fighting off the Unversed? "Ven! What are you doing?"

He laughed but climbed off of Terra's chest and onto the cushy armrest. "Sorry! I'm just glad you're okay. We were really worried."

"I'm fine," Terra replied, though he hissed when he tried to sit up. The motion agitated several barely-clotted scabs that he couldn't see but could feel criss-crossing his arms and legs.

"Don't push yourself," Cinderella said, leaning over him to wipe a spot of blood from his arm. "Ven, dear, could you and Jaq bring me another washcloth?"

"Can do!" The boy hopped down, followed by the red-shirted mouse.

Terra took the moment to look around, hazy though his vision still was. They seemed to be in a lavish foyer with tile floors and columns supporting the ceiling. Was this the inside of her house? How had she gotten him in here?

"Ven was right, you know," Cinderella said quietly. Her washcloth was warm and wet, soothing the sting of his wounds. "We were very worried about you."

"I'm sorry." His face heated; she shouldn't have to worry about him. Yet here he was, bleeding all over her couch. At least the upholstery was red.

He coughed weakly and continued. "I just knew if I didn't stop them, no one else would. I couldn't let them get to you."

She sighed, wiping the side of his shirt, which was caked in either dirt or blood. He hoped it was dirt. "Ever the knight in shining armor, you are. I'm grateful you were here, or else… well. But I am the one who's sorry, to have put you through this." She scrubbed a little harder, frowning at the stubborn dirt-or-blood, and he grimaced. "That's going to leave a stain. There might be some old clothes of my father's that you could borrow in the meantime."

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine," he insisted. His clothes might be stained and torn, but they would last until he could stop back at the Land of Departure. Besides, he really didn't want to be dressed up like the men at the ball had been. Their pants had looked far too tight to be comfortable. "Tell me though, what happened? The last thing I remember is being outnumbered, and then…"

His eyes widened. The darkness. He'd used it again, hadn't he?

"You collapsed," Cinderella answered. She gave up on the spot on his side, and moved on to his leg, which she had to carefully adjust to reach his bloodied calf. Somehow she didn't even flinch at the wound, just pushed up the bottom of his pant leg and started working. "This might need stitches, I'm afraid. It's rather deep."

He shook his head as much as he could while lying down. "It's nothing a couple Cure spells won't fix. As soon as I'm feeling strong enough to use magic again, anyway."

She frowned at the cut but said, "Alright, if you say so. In the meantime I'll clean it as best I can."

He nodded. Though his pride still wanted to insist he was fine, her care was surprisingly effective. The places she'd washed felt better already, as if her rag were dipped in a potion rather than water. Maybe Ven had lent her a few of the healing items. "What happened after that, though?"

"Oh. Well, you had gotten rid of the rest of the monsters by then, so it was safe to bring you inside. I didn't want to leave you out there, in case they came back."

"And your stepfamily?" Terra could hardly mention them without wanting to punch something. "They let you take me in?"

"Well, I wouldn't say they _let_ me do anything." Her mouth pressed to a thin line. "But, I pulled you inside, and they couldn't do anything to stop me."

"You - you brought me in all by yourself?" His brow furrowed. "Cinderella, I have to be twice your size."

She laughed. "Oh, it took me quite a while, but I managed. Ven cast a spell to make you a little lighter, too."

Zero Gravity, probably. Terra smiled; he never would've thought of that. Still, with Ven being the size of a mouse, his spell couldn't have done that much.

"Well, thanks," he said lamely, still embarrassed at the idea of Cinderella having to drag him the whole way through the dirt and then across the clean floors. Which weren't so clean now, he noticed. "I'll help you clean up after this."

"No, I wouldn't have you do that," she replied. She tore a strip of cloth from the bottom of her apron and gently wrapped it around the now-clean gash in his leg. "You've already done so much by protecting us. You just worry about resting, I can take care of everything else."

He frowned but didn't argue - at this point, he would only make a bigger mess if he tried to move. Besides, he had more to worry about than either cleaning _or_ resting.

"How _did_ I finish off the Unversed?" He asked, hoping that his foggy memory was somehow misleading him.

"I'm… not quite sure, exactly," she said, tying a final knot in the bandage. Then she moved back to his chest, hovering over him and humming thoughtfully.

"What did you see?" He asked again. He feared the answer, but he needed to know. If he really had used the darkness again…

"Um… it all happened quite fast, but you used some kind of magic, I think."

He swallowed, his throat going dry. "Did it look… wrong, somehow?"

She stopped inspecting his wounds and met his eyes. He wanted to shrink away from the concern there, but he forced himself to hold her gaze. If he had frightened her, he needed to know that, too.

"Did it feel wrong, to you?" She finally asked.

"Like you said, it happened too fast to be sure. But I was… angry," he admitted. "At Vanitas for making those monsters. At your family for how they talked about you. And… at myself. For not being strong enough to protect you." He closed his eyes. "It _was_ wrong. I gave into the darkness again - that's what happened."

Guilt stung nearly as much as his cuts and bruises. But, he realized, he couldn't regret what he'd done. That would mean regretting saving Cinderella's life.

 _Darkness is evil… but I used it to destroy evil, to do something good._ He hadn't thought that was possible. According to the Master, it shouldn't have been. _But that's what I did - I used darkness to protect light. What does that make me?_

"I was frightened," Cinderella said quietly, fingering the blood-crusted rag. "I thought you were going to die, Terra. I lost hope again, but you didn't. You saved all of us. However you did it, I don't think that's wrong."

"You - you don't?" Terra's eyes opened, taking in her soft expression. Light, she was beautiful. It was a strange for that thought to intrude - when her hands were grimy with dirt and blood, her hair was spilling out from her loose ponytail, her clothes were torn from the battle and making his bandages - but it was true. How had he missed that when he'd first met her? It was in her blue eyes, in her smile, which she turned on him now.

"I don't," she repeated. She reached out a hand, slowly, hesitantly, and placed it over the left side of his chest. "You have a good heart, Terra. Whatever it is you're fighting inside, I know you _are_ strong enough."

 _How can you know that?_ When it came down to it, she still barely knew him. She'd only seen the good, not the fear and anger he'd felt so often lately. Except he didn't feel angry or afraid right now. He just felt… warm.

That was when he saw the light emanating from her hand, the one over his heart.

"What?" His fingers overlapped hers, as if he could touch the light, hold onto it. "Cinderella - what are you doing?"

"It's not me," she said, pulling back in confusion, but his hand tightened around hers.

"I think it is," he replied. He could feel the energy seeping into him, warming him, like a blanket he could wear from the inside.

"You're the one who can use magic. How could I be doing this?"

"That's what I tried to tell you before, Cinderella. There's a special light inside of you. Your heart is free of darkness - that makes you a Princess of Heart."

"Me?" She frowned. "A princess? Terra, I think you might need more time to rest than I thought."

"No, I mean it. That's why the Unversed attacked, why Vanitas will try to get to you. There's only seven Princesses in all the worlds, and - well, I didn't know exactly what they can do, but I guess sharing light is one thing."

She was silent for a long moment. He could feel her hand tense under his. Finally, she said, "Well, if I suddenly have a Fairy Godmother, and you have a magical flying machine, I suppose being some kind of Princess is the least surprising thing to happen to me. And did you say… _worlds_?"

Terra bit his tongue. He could lie, but he felt her light would see right through him.

"Uh… yeah," he said anticlimactically. Master Eraqus was going to have him scrubbing floors for weeks for this.

"Is that where you're really from, then? Another world?"

He closed his eyes, wishing he could take back his words. She really _was_ going to find out everything about him at this rate. "You know those rules I told you about? One of them's that I'm not supposed to talk about that."

"Oh. I'm so sorry, I had no idea - am I going to cause trouble for you?"

"Well… not if you don't tell anyone." He would still have to report this to the Master, but he doubted there was any way she could disturb the world order. Maybe he'd only have to scrub floors for _one_ week. He shouldn't complain; it would still be less trouble than she went through on daily basis.

"I won't. I promise."

He opened his eyes and saw her smiling again. "Thanks."

"Well, don't thank me just yet. I'm still not done cleaning you up." She pursed her lips, and her cheeks reddened. "I'm afraid you might need to remove your shirt for me to properly wash some of your cuts."

"Huh? Oh - uh…" He was sure his face turned red too. He let go of her hand, and she quickly pulled it back to her side. "Don't worry about it. I think I can cast Cure again now."

"Oh. That's good, then." She coughed. "I wonder what's taking Jaq and Ven so long. I could really use a clean washcloth…"

He shrugged, then quietly said, "Heal." The comfortable green glow surrounded him, closing up cuts and lightening bruises. Though it wiped away his physical pain, the feeling still paled in comparison to whatever she'd done with her light.

"Oh," Cinderella gasped, then sighed in relief. "That's quite a useful spell. I suppose you didn't need my help after all."

"No, I did. Trust me." He smiled. "If it weren't for you-"

" _Cinderella!"_ A nasally voice called, cutting him off. Stomping echoed from the staircase he could just barely see through the doorway. "Mother says you've wasted enough time with that boy! It's time you cleaned up around here!"

Terra gritted his teeth, but Cinderella just rolled her eyes. "Just a moment, Anastasia."

"Don't talk to me like that! Mother, she can't talk to me like that!" Anastasia appeared in the doorway, hands on her hips. Then, to Terra's annoyance, she was joined by the other stepsister - Drizella, Cinderella had said. And last but not least, the stepmother herself.

"Quiet, Anastasia," Cinderella's stepmother said calmly.

"But-!"

She held up her hand in warning. "I will deal with this."

"Hmph…" Anastasia crossed her arms. Drizella peered out from behind her, and a curious expression replaced the sneer on her face.

Cinderella swallowed nervously. Terra wanted to reach for her hand again, but decided that might not be the best idea. To her family, he was just a blacksmith's apprentice. He wondered why she'd picked that as a cover story for him, of all things. But they'd seen him fight. Would they even believe that anymore?

"I believe," the older woman stepped closer and said, "that someone has been telling lies."

Terra swallowed. Apparently they wouldn't.

"Stepmother, I can explain-" Cinderella began.

"Silence!" She barked. "The blacksmith currently has no apprentice. I know this because I spoke with him at the ball three nights ago."

"I - he - he was only trying to-"

"What did I say, _child_?" Her stepmother sneered. Terra felt a similar expression form on his own face.

"Don't talk to her like that!"

She blinked slowly, as if surprised that he would speak, and then scowled again. "You would invade my own home, destroy my lawn and gardens, and then speak to me this way?"

Terra sat up; his energy had returned, whether from the Cure or from his anger, he didn't know. "Look, I was the one who _kept_ your home from being destroyed!"

"Terra-" Cinderella began nervously, but her stepmother raised her hand again.

"Regardless of what you have done, you are corrupting my stepdaughter. Her duties are to our family, not to brawling peasants."

" _Peasants-!_ " He growled, but she kept talking as if he'd been silent.

"If you are capable of such insolent speech, then you are clearly well enough to return home. You will do so, and you will not speak to Cinderella again."

"But Stepmother, you can't!" Cinderella threw an arm out to the side, as if to protect him. "He's still hurt! And I..."

This time, Terra did squeeze her hand. Then he rose and stood at her side, still looking like death warmed over, but holding his head high. Drizella and Anastasia flinched back a little, then stuck their noses in the air as if to cover it.

"What if I don't like that plan?" Terra said.

Cinderella's stepmother turned a steely glare on him. He imagined her looking at Cinderella like that, bending her to her will, and the anger kindled inside him.

"You will not have a say in it. Cinderella is far too busy to entertain your company." She turned her cool gaze on her stepdaughter. "Come, now. Let us show him out."

"...Yes, Stepmother," she replied quietly, a tear trailing down her cheek. Her small, callused hand was cold in his.

"But, Cinderella…" Terra swallowed what he was going to say: _you can't let them treat you like that. You don't have to let them._ Did she? When it came down to it, they were the only family she had. They may be cruel and horrible, but where else could she go? Who else could care for her?

 _I could,_ he thought even as they led him to the door. _I could take her with me. She's a Princess of Heart, and she's in danger here._

But the words stuck in his throat. What if she didn't want to go with him? Sure, she'd wished to see other kingdoms, but other worlds - that was something else. And what would the Master say? Would he demand he take her back, back to this home that looked more like a prison?

They arrived at the door, somber as a funeral procession arriving at a grave. His only small comfort was that she still hadn't let go of his hand.

"Say goodbye, Cinderella," her stepmother commanded. Terra gave her the fiercest glare he had, for all the good it would do either of them. Everything about this was wrong. He may not be a real knight in shining armor, but he should have been able to protect her. He shouldn't be abandoning her here, to these people who didn't care if she lived or died. There _had_ to be something he could do, if only he had longer to think of what it could be.

But he didn't have time. Sparkling tears dripped down Cinderella's face. She turned to Terra, took a deep breath, and…

Smiled?

"Goodbye, Stepmother."

" _What?"_ Drizella shouted. "What do you think you're-!"

"Goodbye, Drizella. Goodbye, Anastasia." Cinderella pulled open the large front door.

"She can't really be-!"

"Oh, but I can," She said firmly, the confidence in her voice increasing with every word. "I have been thinking about this for some time now. I am old enough to take care of myself. I think I shall do a better job of it than you have."

"Who does she think she-!" Drizella tugged on her mother's dress.

"Mother, you can't let her-!"

Her stepmother cleared her throat, and the protests went silent. "Surely I misheard. Surely you aren't so deluded as to think _you_ could make your way in the world on your own, without my support."

Cinderella stood straighter.

"I believe I can."

"And she won't be alone," Terra said, squeezing her hand. Her smile grew wider.

"So, a scullery maid and a lying peasant. We'll see how long your fairy tale will last." The woman gave a thin smile. "When you wake up from this delusion, you know where to find us."

Anastasia gaped. "Mother, you're not really-!"

"She can't leave!"

"Who's going to do our laundry?"

"And our dishes!"

"Mother!"

Terra heard the aghast shouts as he followed Cinderella out the door, and even after it shut behind them. She didn't stop on the porch, or in the charred debris of the lawn. She walked stiffly, clinging to his hand the whole time, until she finally collapsed to her knees in the remnants of the pumpkin patch.

"Cinderella!" Terra knelt beside her. "Are you alright?"

She began to cry again, breath coming in soft little gasps. "Yes, Terra - I'm fine - I _will_ be. Oh, I'm so sorry you had to be there for that. But I - I had to. I'm so tired of just dreaming…" Her gasps then broke down into full-on sobs.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he said, rubbing her back. He thought back to the first time they met, when he hadn't known how to comfort her. He still didn't, but he would try anyway. "That was really brave, Cinderella."

She smiled a little through her tears. "I suppose it was, wasn't it? I'd just been thinking about what you said. That they shouldn't treat me the way they do. It had just been so long since anyone - since anyone treated me the way _you_ do… it made me believe that things really can be better." She stopped to sniffle, then composed herself enough to keep going.

"And you believed in me, too. You believed I was strong enough. If it weren't for you, I don't know that I would have ever had the courage to do this. I just can't believe I really… I didn't expect to leave so soon…"

"You don't have anything packed, do you?" Terra realized. "And what about your friends, the mice?"

"Well, actually…" She wiped her eyes, then stood. He followed her around the side of the manor, where a horse knickered inside a small stable. Tucked in the corner, half-buried under a pile of hay, lay a small bundle wrapped in canvas. She dug it out and dusted it off. "I didn't expect to do this so soon, but I wanted to be prepared. Just in case… well. I packed a few spare dresses and things a few days ago."

"You really have thought about this."

"I've thought about this forever, actually." She smiled. "It's only recently that I believed I could do it."

"There really is power in believing," he said to himself, as she turned and patted the horse on the nose, telling him goodbye. "What are you going to do now? Is there somewhere you planned to go?"

"Well… I didn't have all the details yet. But there are a few tailoring shops in town; I'm sure that one of them could use an extra seamstress. And if that falls through, I am more than qualified to be a maid. Perhaps I could even work at the castle." She chuckled.

"And you're not scared at all? I mean, this can't be easy, leaving everything you know..." He realized too late that those probably weren't the comforting words she needed to hear right now.

"Oh, I'm terrified." She laughed. "But I imagine it would be terrifying no matter when I decided to do it. This time, I won't let fear stop me." She hoisted the bundle of clothes up in her arms. "I will worry about the animals here, though. I know the mice and birds can follow me, but Bruno and the others… I hope my stepfamily will take care of them."

"Who knows? Maybe they'll decide to run away too. Here, let me carry that for you." They shared a smile, and she handed over the lump of clothes. "I'll D-Link with Ven, and he can lead the mice out of there. In the meantime, you don't have a place to stay yet. You can use the room I rented at the inn; I'll camp outside tonight."

"Oh, Terra, you really don't have to…"

"I want to," he assured her. "If I had to guess, you probably don't have a lot of munny to spare right now."

"Well… no." She blushed. "I have a few coins I've saved though, change from shopping in the market. I can get by for a couple of days until I find a place to work."

"Would you let me look after you, just until then?" He asked. "I have to stick around and find Vanitas, anyway, and I still think he might come after you again."

Her brow furrowed. "Maybe he won't be able to find me, since we're leaving."

"Maybe," he said, though he wasn't convinced. If Vanitas could sense light, there was probably nowhere she could really hide.

"I just wish I didn't have to put you in danger again. I would still feel better if you rested for a little longer."

"Trust me, I'll be fine. I'm the last guy you need to worry about." He grinned. It was a pretty funny thought, her worrying about putting _him_ in danger. He tucked her clothes under one arm, then held the other out for her to take.

"Shall we go now, Princess Cinderella?"

Her cheeks glowed pink as she laughed. She linked her arm with his.

"Yes, Knight Terra. I think we shall."

The grin stayed on Terra's face as they headed towards town. For the first time since leaving the Land of Departure, he felt like he had done something completely right.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was one I was looking forward to for a while! I'm going to try and go back to updating ASAS next, I'll be sad to leave this was alone for a bit.**


	9. Gambling

**A/N: Oops, I lied. Here's another chapter of this,** _ **then**_ **(hopefully) I'll get to the end of ASAS. I just needed to get this down before I forgot a lot of the things I had planned.**

Aqua awoke near midnight to the sound of Unversed materializing. Adrenaline snapped her into full consciousness; her keyblade flashed to her hand before she processed exactly what the noise was. Once she did, she only gripped it tighter.

 _This is it. He's decided to stop this game and just kill me._ Well, she wasn't going down without a fight. She stood as tall as her Unversed cage allowed and took up her battle stance.

Only… if he was going to send Unversed after her, why wouldn't he just use the Cursed Coach? The cage-shaped monster expanded and contracted gently, as if in unconscious breathing.

Cautiously, she poked her head out one of the windows. To her surprise, Void was still asleep - at least, there was a Void-shaped lump under the mass of dusty blankets. That could easily be a part of the trap, though.

Then she caught sight of the Unversed. A single Flood wandered around the room, diving in and out of the carpeted floor.

"Mmmfffp..." Void rolled over, and part of his helmet peeked out from under the covers. Then he went still again, save for the slight rise and fall of his chest. So it wasn't a trap, it seemed… but then what were those Floods doing?

The Flood popped out of the ground right in front of her cage. She took a step back, but it had already made eye contact.

The creature leapt up towards the barred window, squirmed through, and tumbled into her cage. Her hand tightened around her keyblade, but she didn't attack just yet. It could still be some kind of trap, if one she didn't understand. Why would Void pretend to be asleep, then just send one small Unversed after her?

The Flood's head twitched to the side. It looked at her keyblade, almost like it was… curious. But that was ridiculous; it was just a monster. It didn't have emotions. Right?

" _They're made of what I feel,"_ Void had said. Did that mean they could feel too? The thought made her uncomfortable.

"Stay back," she whispered to the Flood, baring her blade warningly. It skittered back to the wall and plopped down. She stared at its glowing red eyes. She'd talked to it out of instinct; she hadn't actually expected the monster to listen.

Out the window, Void still seemed to be asleep - though she thought she heard muttering. He _could_ be controlling the Unversed, but it didn't seem likely.

The Flood curled up like a cat, its arrowhead face lying over its feet. Its red eyes closed - she hadn't known they could do that. It looked like… like it wanted to go to sleep too.

 _This is all some very elaborate trick… or Void just created Unversed out of his sleepiness._

Tentatively, and with her weapon still bared, she approached the resting Flood. She wasn't sure what she hoped to learn, but she didn't feel comfortable going back to sleep herself until the Unversed was gone.

Her silent steps didn't wake it. She was able to get close, closer than was comfortable, but still it slept, its small body inflating and deflating with mimicked breath. It almost looked… innocent, sleeping like that. Like a calm pet. She wasn't naive enough to actually believe that. Still, when she raised her blade to strike it down, she hesitated. The creature hadn't hurt her, and destroying it would surely wake Void.

She had an idea inspired by the time she had found a rat inside the castle in the Land of Departure. Terra had said they should poison it, but Aqua had managed to catch and release the animal in a harmless homemade trap. The Flood didn't have a natural habitat to return to, but she could at least move it out of her prison.

She didn't release her keyblade, but she used her other arm to carefully scoop up the sleeping Unversed. Its eyes didn't open. That was a good start. Now, if she could just dump it out the window -

The Flood squirmed, startling her into dropping it too soon. Its eyes slowly blinked open, and it shook its head. But for some reason, it still didn't attack. It just sat there and stared.

"You're not very smart, are you?" Aqua whispered. She couldn't help it; she smiled a little. When the creature wasn't attacking, it was almost cute. "Or maybe I'm the one who isn't very smart…"

She was just imagining any friendly traits in this monster. It was because she hadn't spoken with anyone but Void in the past three days, most likely.

Still, she sat down and observed the Flood. It slid a little closer, but eyed her keyblade warily.

"You know what this can do, don't you." After thinking through the worst-case scenario - that the Flood could jump in her face and attack, which she could always heal with a Cure or two - she banished her keyblade.

The Flood recoiled at the flash of light. Then it dove into the floor of the Cursed Coach and resurfaced right in front of her.

Aqua bit back a yelp, but couldn't scoot back in time to keep the Flood from leaping into her lap. She readied a Fire spell - if she woke Void, so be it; she wasn't going to let the monster hurt her if she could help it. The flames grew in her palm -

And flickered out. The Flood was already asleep again, snuggled up against her.

"...Void, you have some explaining to do."

XXX

"So, what do you have on the agenda today?" Aqua asked after Void emerged from the bathroom the next morning. The little Flood stopped batting around her crumpled papers and went still; it had done the same thing when Void had first woken up, like it didn't want its master to notice it. "Terrorizing the worlds? Burning down buildings? Kicking puppies?"

"None of the above," Void answered in a tone that was less grumpy than usual. He had seemed in an oddly good mood the previous day, too, at least after all the craziness with borrowing her keyblade had passed. She wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. "I've got time to kill, so I get to stick around today."

 _Wonderful._ Aqua stifled a sigh. She'd planned to attempt an escape today, call his bluff on having Vanitas. He had never brought back a letter the previous day. Even if she was wrong and he actually did have Vanitas, escaping would still be the quickest way to find out.

 _Think positive,_ she told herself. _"There's no trial so dark that you cannot keep a still heart,"_ the Master had always said. She would do just that; Void didn't need to know that this isolation was getting to her. Maybe she'd even try to be cheerful - that would throw him for a loop.

"That sounds great," she said with a grin. Terra or Ven would have seen right through it, but hopefully it looked real enough to Void. "You have time to deliver my letter, then."

Void ignored her, as he often did in the brief times he was around. "Do you want breakfast?"

"Can you hear through that helmet?" She asked, already failing to keep the irritation out of her voice. So much for her Master's teachings. "I told you what I wanted. Give Vanitas my letter."

She wondered if Void had read the one she'd written for him. Maybe threatening him hadn't been the best way to get what she wanted.

"Alright," Void finally said. Aqua blinked. No more argument, just a calm reply. "On one condition."

Of course. "What? Are you going to steal my light again?"

He snorted. "Don't tempt me."

"I thought that was why you wanted me," she went on. "Why else are you keeping me here?" He hadn't done that awful trick since the first day, not that she was complaining. It just didn't make sense.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said, surprising her. It wasn't a real answer, but it was still more than she'd expected. "For now though, I just want to see your board game."

"Command Board? Why?" Her brow furrowed. She had been playing it to pass the time and to try and level up her commands, since she couldn't physically train much at the moment.

"Maybe I just like board games." There was a hint of sarcasm in that.

"Fine." She shrugged. "Deliver my letter and let Vanitas write me one in return, and then we can play."

That idea sounded ridiculous when she said it out loud, but he nodded. "Don't have too much fun while I'm gone."

He disappeared, and the timid Flood rustled her papers as it slunk out from the corner. It darted around her legs before hopping up to the window and peering out.

"You can go out there, you know," she told it. "You're not trapped in here."

Technically she wasn't either, not entirely. Last night Void had explained that she could knock on the Cursed Coach three times, and it would open its mouth to let her walk to the bathroom. If she tried to go the opposite direction though, towards the other door or the window, the Unversed would attack and Void would come for her.

But, it was still more freedom than she'd had previously. And she didn't have to suffer through his horrible portals. Even if he had only moved her so he wouldn't have to walk her to the bathroom each time, she could appreciate it. The feeling of him waiting on her had been almost as disconcerting as those portals themselves.

She knocked thrice, and the wide barred maw slowly opened. The Flood darted out, and she chuckled and followed behind.

Sure enough, the large Unversed didn't attack. She got her first clear image of it from the outside - it was shaped not like a regular carriage, but like a giant _pumpkin._ Thorny tendrils snaked out from its sides, and curled vines formed its wheels. Its middle window curved back into an eerie grin. This, at least, was an Unversed she could never find cute.

She tried to ignore the sensation of it watching her as she entered the bathroom, shutting the door before the Flood could slip through too. Then she sighed deeply and leaned against the side of the porcelain tub.

Free. Free from the stifling confines of her cage, free from the nauseating sensation of darkness, which her stomach had finally almost adjusted to. She would wash her clothes, dry them with a weak mix of Fire and Aero. She would soak in the bathtub without worrying that Void would walk in on her. Maybe she would even close her eyes and sing while she was at it, like she would back home.

She would do all that… in a moment. Right now she just breathed. Breathed, and let a few silent tears drip down her face.

Then she stood up straight and looked herself in the mirror.

"I'm going to get out of here," she told her reflection. "I'm a Keyblade Master. Ven and Terra need me. Vanitas needs me."

She wouldn't fail them. She couldn't fail them.

So she put on a brave face and got ready to face the day.

XXX

"Sheesh, if these people are so rich, why can't they afford ballpoints?" Vanitas shook the stolen bottle of ink and set it down on the wooden crate. "Or at least pencils. Writing's stupid enough without having to use a freaking _feather_."

He grumbled to himself as he spread out Aqua's letter, smoothing out the creases. He didn't really need it out in order to write his reply - he'd memorized its contents after about the thirteenth time reading it. What he needed it for was her handwriting. The tight, elegant script was flawless. He knew he couldn't hope to match it, but it could at least help him remember how to form legible letters.

He shrugged and cracked his neck before muttering, "Well, here goes nothing."

He dipped the tip of the feather in the black ink, hovered it over the paper, and began to write.

 _Aqua,_

…

…

He cursed. Not on the paper, just in his head. What was he supposed to say? It wasn't like he hadn't thought about it. He'd probably thought _too_ much about it - the ideas had invaded his dreams last night, distorted and foolish. In most of them, he had told her the truth; it was her reactions that varied.

Killing him. Kidnapping him, trapping him inside his own Unversed. Torturing him with Thundaga, like Master Xehanort.

Forgiving him. Holding him tight, like she had that night he could never forget. Helping him forge the X-Blade.

Foolish.

He crossed a giant, bleeding _X_ across the page, crumpled it in his fist, and tossed it across the length of the storage room.

 _Focus,_ he thought, suppressing a pair of Scrappers itching to burst out. _It's just a stupid letter. I can do this._

He took a clean sheet from the box he'd found.

 _Agua,_

He scowled. One word in, and he'd already misspelled her name. He wadded that page up too and hurled it as far as he could. In that moment he'd let his guard down, and a Scrapper did sneak out.

"Behave," he ordered without bothering to look at it as he slammed down another page.

 _Aqua,_

…

"Come on, this shouldn't be so hard," he said out loud. "I _am_ Vanitas."

It should be easy. He was just pretending to be himself. What would he say if he actually was a regular, hopeless person? He sat there, thinking, then dunked his feather in the ink and began to write again.

Finally, after about twenty minutes, three more false-starts, and an awful hand cramp, he had a passable letter. Passable, and just a little bit concerning - it was hard to tell where his lies ended and the truth began. But it felt… right. Kind of like when he released an Unversed, he felt a little lighter after scribbling out the words.

He blew on the paper to dry the splotchy ink, then folded it into a square. His Scrapper climbed up onto the crate and stared at it, as if to ask, _Are you really going to tell her all that?_

"I'm not telling her. _Vanitas_ is. Now come on, I think I smell some croissants with our names on them."

XXX

Vanitas entered the room holding both his letter and a fresh croissant in the air.

"One letter and one hot breakfast, no extra charge," he announced in his Void voice, the one with a hint of a growl and a double dose of his usual arrogance. He expected a snappy reply, but there was none. "Aqua?"

Before he had time to panic, he heard the water running in the bathroom. Right, he'd given her permission to use it while he was gone. It didn't have any windows; he doubted she could escape through there.

"Hm. Croissant's gonna get cold." He plopped down on the bed, thinking about eating it if she didn't come out soon. She would probably refuse it, anyway. She was stubborn like that. It couldn't be healthy for her, though, just living off whatever she'd been able to fit in her pockets for four days. It would be stupid if he went through all this trouble of keeping her safe, just to have her starve to death.

He was lying back on the bed, swinging his legs off the side, when a faint noise caught his attention. He would know that noise anywhere - it was the sound his Floods made when they leapt out of the ground. But he hadn't created any Floods today.

He sat up and saw the small Unversed hovering by the bathroom door.

"Hey, get away from there." He summoned his keyblade and swatted it back. "Aqua's probably taking a bath. She'll kill us both if you go in there."

The Flood scampered back, but it tilted its head and twitched an antenna, as if to say, _Okay, but_ listen.

"Listen to what?"

But then Vanitas heard it - the thick wooden door muffled the sound, but Aqua was definitely singing. He suspected he could only hear her at all because she was belting out the words.

" _...in a kingdom of thieves, and people who say, things they don't really mean, really mean…"_

Vanitas took a step back, the lyrics echoing in his head. Something about those words…

" _You're only everything I ever dreamed, ever dreamed of, ever dreamed of…"_

He clutched the front of his helmet. It didn't help; his head still throbbed with the ache of the missing memory.

" _You must be kidding me, did you really think, I could say no…?"_

He growled, frightening the Flood into the floor. What was that song? More importantly, why did it feel so important to remember?

" _I want you for a lifetime - but if you're gonna think twice, baby - I don't wanna know…"_

He stood straight, as if shot with Thunder. A piece of his memory linked into place.

"Don't Think Twice," he whispered, backing away from the door. How could she know that song? It had come from a world farther away than she'd ever traveled. He knew because it was the world where he - where Ventus - had been born.

Twilight Town.

He squeezed his eyes shut against the happy memories that threatened to overpower him. His dad had sung that song to his mom all the time. Vanitas wondered if he still sung it now. If they were still just as happy without their precious Ventus.

" _I don't wanna know, baby… I don't wanna know…"_

Vanitas tossed the croissant through a window of the Cursed Coach, which bounced a little in surprise. Then, eyes stinging, he opened a dark corridor and practically threw himself through it.

All these sudden emotions would make for some dangerous Unversed.

XXX

Aqua emerged from the bathroom, feeling clean and refreshed. The warm water and unrestrained singing had pulled her out of the dark cycle of her thoughts. She felt ready to take on the world.

The Flood from before darted up to her and butted its head against her leg. She jumped at first, but then laughed.

"Still sticking around, huh?" She asked the strange Unversed. Of course, it didn't reply. The Cursed Coach did wave its vines threateningly, however. Back to her cage, then. Her dark mood tried to rise up again, but she took a deep breath and let it go. _Keep a still heart. Cage or no cage, I will make the most of this._

She was startled to notice a croissant lying among the papers she still hadn't bothered to tidy up. Had Void left it here while she was bathing? The thought of him hanging around while she was singing out loud unnerved her. Maybe it had unnerved him too, considering he wasn't here anymore.

Well, at least he hadn't walked in on her, or yelled at her to shut up. Small blessings.

As was the discarded croissant. She picked it up, dusted it off, and took a tentative bite. Her mouth watered at the taste of something that wasn't jerky or stale granola. It melted into buttery flakes on her tongue, and she hastily ate the rest of it. If that was one extra point to Void, well, at least he wasn't here to see it.

"Finally," his low voice called a second after she heard his portal open. "I thought you might starve to death just to spite me."

Alright, so apparently he _was_ here to see it.

"Don't flatter yourself," she told him after she swallowed. "Do you have my letter?"

She was expecting him to come up with another weak excuse, but he actually held up a folded sheet of paper.

"Vanitas sends his regards." He flicked the letter towards her like a throwing star. She caught it with a thoughtful frown - she had been ready to call his bluff this time. There was still the possibility that Void had forged it, but she wouldn't bet on that until she read it.

"...Thank you," she said, more out of habit than feeling. Though her fingers itched to open the letter right then, she placed it in a pocket of the cloth wrapped around her waist.

"Tch. You spend all this time begging me to get that to you, and you're not even going to read it?"

"I will. You said you wanted to play Command Board, though." The true reason was that she didn't want to read it with Void watching… and, honestly, now that she had it, she was afraid of what Vanitas might have written. He had every right to be upset with her, considering how awful of a situation she had gotten them into.

"That's right." He snapped his fingers, and the Cursed Coach's mouth opened. The Flood from earlier hid in the floor while Aqua stared out hesitantly. "Come on. I'm not going to squish in there with you."

There would have been plenty of room in the Coach, technically. Not that she wanted to be closer to him than she had to, but she found it suspicious that he would let her out just to play a board game. Maybe he was getting arrogant. If so, that would make escaping easier.

Regardless, a few more minutes outside of her cage would be welcome. She carefully stepped down and followed Void's lead in sitting down on the musty carpet.

 _This is strange, even for me,_ she thought, briefly making eye contact with her reflection in Void's helmet. Then she unfolded the Command Board and laid it out between them. At the tap of her fingers, the small illusions of herself, Terra, and Ven came to life. She could have sworn Void jumped at that. Quickly, she reconfigured it to take out the NPCs, and added an illusion of Void instead. It would have been wrong to let him control the avatar of one of her friends.

"Alright." She cleared her throat. "Here's how you play…"

XXX

" _Piece of cake!"_

Vanitas actually growled this time, clenching his fist and barely stopping himself from slamming it down on Aqua's gloating avatar. His own small illusion had his arms crossed and was kicking at the ground with his boot.

"You aren't a very graceful loser," Aqua noted with a bit of a smirk.

"That's because I don't lose."

"I think the last four games would beg to differ." Yes, she was definitely smirking now. She collected the commands she'd won - some of which had been his own commands that she had paid GP to take over. Just Fire, Thunder, and Sleep this time - he'd learned his lesson after the first round, when he'd lost Dark Thundaga, Triple Firaga, and Illusion Strike. She'd neglected to tell him before starting that any commands he laid down had the possibility of being stolen, and they would become keyed to her command deck instead, so he couldn't simply steal them back.

"Set it up again," he said, collecting back his leveled-up commands and the single new one he'd won, a lousy Blizzard. Aqua hadn't been foolish enough to lay down any powerful commands even in the beginning, so his total winnings consisted of that Blizzard and an Aero from earlier. He hoped that maybe if he stole enough of her commands, she'd eventually have to use the good ones. But that required him to actually _win_ for once. The only victory Vanitas had, if it counted as one, was that he'd learned she couldn't use the board game as a communication device.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "You can always quit before you get even farther behind."

And let her hold it over him forever? "I don't think so."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself." She tapped the board a few times, resetting the illusions to the keyhole-shaped square, then shuffled up her commands. "Speaking of suits, what's with that costume?"

"What?" He glanced down at himself and frowned. That was the boldest comment she'd made to him so far. All this winning was making her cocky.

She nodded towards him, already rolling the die. It landed with six dots facing up. _Figures._

"That suit you always wear. Are there Moogles that sell tacky villain clothing with skirts?"

"Wha- you- it's not a _skirt_!" His voice cracked pathetically. At least she couldn't see the heat in his face.

"What is it then?" She asked with mock interest. He snatched the die and rolled, not paying attention to which path he directed his avatar.

"...It's a waist cape," he replied. He vaguely heard his illusion groan when he landed on a square that stole his GP.

Aqua just stared, a look of confusion frozen on her face.

Then she burst out laughing.

"You - you're not serious," she gasped out through the shaking laughter. The smell of light was spilling off of her now, stronger than it had been since that first evening he'd spent with her. He'd had time to acclimate though; it only made him a little dizzy this time.

"Of course I'm serious! Skirts are for girls!"

That just threw her into another fit of laughter. Red Hot Chilis of embarrassment wanted to burst out, and he just about let them. The only thing that stopped him was that he didn't want to catch the Command Board on fire - at least not until he beat her.

"You might want to consider an outfit change, then," she got out. "Or does your boss make you wear that?"

"Xehanort can't _make_ me do anything. I can change any time I want." He crossed his arms.

Her laughter choked off as surely as if he'd wrapped his fingers around her neck. The commands slipped out of her hands. One landed on the board, fuzzing through her avatar.

"What - what did you say?"

"I can change any time I want," he repeated. Why did she look so pale? "I just happen to like my waist-cape."

"Forget the skirt - waist-cape, whatever." She shook her head. "What does Xehanort have to do with this?"

 _Xehanort? How does she-!_ Every curse that Vanitas knew flashed through his head. How in the Void had he let that slip? He had let her get under his skin, catch him off guard - but it didn't matter now. It was too late to take back his words; all he could do was attempt damage control.

"Nothing," he lied. "I told you. I'm the only one you need to worry about."

She stood, making the Cursed Coach wave its vines in warning.

"No," she breathed, eyes still wide. "You come and go. You complain about the difficult jobs you've had to do - you're not the one making the rules. But - Master _Xehanort?"_

He stood too, hand itching for his weapon, not that it would help. _Unless I just kill her. This whole plan was a long shot. Stupid, stupid!_

No, no. _Calm down. I can't throw away my whole plan now. I still need her._

"I have to tell Terra," she said, more to herself than to him. "I have to get out of here."

He pressed down the rising Archravens of fear.

"Do that, and he'll just kill you," he warned.

She frowned at that, then put on a look of resolve. "No, he won't. He must need me, or else you wouldn't have taken me here."

Vanitas laughed. He couldn't help it - she had no idea. And he was going to have to gamble on that. He could only hope that his luck paid off more here than it had in Command Board.

"Aqua, you are the _last_ thing Xehanort needs. Trust me on that one. If you leave here, it will be the end of both you _and_ Vanitas."

"Like I would trust anything you say!" She held her hand out to the side and summoned her keyblade. Vanitas gritted his teeth, but called forth Void Gear too.

" _Don't_ trust me, then. But ask yourself: is this a risk you'd take, even if your lives are on the line?"

She hesitated. It was enough time for the Cursed Coach to scoop her up in its vines and toss her back into its maw. She cried out as it started to chomp down on her, but Vanitas reached out and calmed the Unversed.

"I guess we'll have to have our rematch later," he said. It was too bad. As much as he hated losing, exchanging banter with Aqua had been entertaining. Plus, it was the closest to a civil conversation he'd had with her as Void.

"Or never," she spat back. "I don't care what you say. Terra and Ven and Vanitas need me, and I _will_ find a way to help them."

Vanitas rolled his eyes, not that she would see. _You want to help me? Stop trying to get out of here._

"Personally, I think it's about time Terra and Ventus learned to solve their own problems for once. Like Terra? Right now, he's on the verge of falling into darkness. Even if you were there, there would be nothing you could do about it."

"No," she gasped, then gave her fiercest glare. "Terra would never give in to the darkness! He's stronger than that!"

He'd hoped that news about Terra would chip away at her confidence, but instead it apparently fueled her resolve. This whole intimidating thing was more difficult than he'd expected. Or else, Aqua was just stronger than he'd expected. He could respect that.

"We'll see," he replied cryptically as he folded up the Command Board and tossed it inside her cage. Aqua rose to her knees.

"I'm sick of your mind games! What is it you want with me and Terra!?"

Her voice stayed steady; her glare still bored through him. But he noticed, only briefly, a tear running down her cheek. A Flood peeled itself from him at the realization - he choked it until its life flowed back into him. Along with the guilt he shouldn't be feeling.

He turned his back so he wouldn't have to face her.

"I don't want anything with Terra," he answered honestly. "As for you… I'm still figuring that out."

 _Let her decide what to make of that,_ he thought.

 _I'm getting tired of playing mind games too._

XXX

After Void left again - to where she didn't know - Aqua released her frustrations by running through as much of her training regiment as she could. Crunches. Push-ups. Punches. Not kicks; there wasn't quite that much room. The little Flood from before hovered around her, flinching sometimes when she would shout.

"This - is so - _hopeless!"_ She yelled in time with each push-up. Finally, after having reached fifty, she let herself collapse. "I can't just sit here while my friends are in danger…"

But what else could she do? Playing Command Board with Void had shown her a disheartening truth - his commands were far more powerful than hers. Higher leveled, too. Clearly he'd had more practical fighting experience, while hers was limited to sparring in the Land of Departure and her few encounters with the Unversed before the ball. Plus, he hadn't even needed to fight her - his Unversed could restrain her just as easily.

Hopeless.

"No," she told herself. "There's always a way. There has to be."

The Flood darted to her side and huddled up against her. She was too tired to bother flinching away, and this particular Unversed, for whatever reason, had never tried to harm her.

She rolled over and sat up, eying the creature. _It had never tried to harm her._

" _They're made of what I feel."_

If she took his word for that - which in this case seemed a safe bet - then there was some part of him, however small, that didn't want to hurt her. Combined with what she'd tricked him into revealing about Xehanort… Void might be attempting to appear like more of a threat than he really was.

But then again, was she willing to risk it?

Her mind ran circles, analyzing everything he'd said throughout their games. In spite of everything, she still felt the urge to laugh at his defensiveness over his "waist-cape." Honestly, even her fabric wraps were less of a skirt than that.

Thinking about all of that was useless, though. She knew that. She needed a new angle, a fresh perspective.

 _Maybe Vanitas left me a clue,_ she thought, reaching into her pocket for the letter. Her fingers turned it over and over again, feeling its sharp creases, but just like before, she felt a spark of fear at the idea of opening it.

 _I'm being ridiculous. If he's upset, he has every right to be. I will take it like a Keyblade Master should._ So, this time, she took a deep breath and unfolded the page.

...

 _Aqua -_

 _Sheesh, you worry too much. I'm not scared. I'm not mad at you either._

A smile spread on her face; she could've sworn a physical weight lifted from her shoulders. He wasn't angry. From someone else, she might have thought they were lying to protect her feelings, but Vanitas seemed the type who would tell her straight out.

Something nagged at her though - something about his handwriting. The sloppy scrawl looked strangely familiar. It was probably nothing; she returned her attention to reading.

 _I'm just mad at Void. He seems like a pretty big_ \- something was scratched out there - _jerk. Crazy strong jerk though._

 _Here's what happened. He showed up out of nowhere out of some black portal thing. He cast Sleep on you before I could do anything. Then I got a couple of kicks and punches on him before he carried us off, but it didn't do much. Then he threw me in this room and took you somewhere else. I'm surprised he's letting us write each other._

 _So you're not from this world, huh? I guess that explains why you're better than most of the losers around here. If I could get out, I'd do it in a heartbeat. That keyblade thing sounds cool. You got any idea where I can get one? I bet if we teamed up we could kick Void's butt and bust out of here._

She laughed at that image. It was sweet of him to say, even if it was impossible.

 _Also, you can quit apologizing. I would have danced with you anyway. I'm way more selfish than you are._

She paused and re-read those lines. She could imagine those words as if he'd said them aloud, in his grumpy to-the-point voice. For some reason, it warmed her inside.

 _I'm doing fine for now. Bored as Hades, but fine. Void better be treating you okay. I know you said not to fight him, but if he hurts you, I'll kill him. Keyblade or no keyblade._

 _And what makes you think_ _you'll_ _be the one to get_ _me_ _out of here? Maybe I'll surprise both of you key masters and be the hero. In the meantime, don't do anything stupid._

 _\- Vanitas_

She covered her mouth, hiding a little laugh. It was adorable, really, the idea of him trying to protect her. She pictured him trying to scowl Void to death and had to laugh again.

As relieved as she was by the letter, there was still something wrong - he hadn't answered one of her questions. She scanned the messy handwriting, wondering if she had missed something, and then turned the paper over. That was where she found a few more scribbled words.

 _P.S. You said I was handsome. Is that enough proof for you?_

Her face heated. Of all the things from that night that he could have picked...

" _Because you're beautiful."_

" _Thank you…?"_

" _That wasn't a compliment. That was a fact."_

" _Um, well… you're rather handsome yourself."_

" _...What?"_

" _That's just a fact, you know."_

The memory brought a small smile to her face. When was the last time someone had called her beautiful? She couldn't remember. Wait, she could - it was the Master, the day she had accidentally burned off a chunk of her hair while learning Fira. She'd had to cut her hair up to her neck to get rid of all the singed pieces. It had been horrible. But Master Eraqus had cleaned up her subpar job, smiled at her, told her that her short haircut suited her. He'd assured her that she was beautiful.

That was five years ago. She had kept her hair short ever since.

She shook off the reminiscence. The Master was like a father to her, so while that experience counted, it didn't count in the same way. Vanitas had called her beautiful in such a matter-of-fact way, as if there couldn't possibly be any question. It had brought a… surprising feeling, to say the least.

And while she'd mostly complimented him back in order to shake off her own embarrassment, he _was_ handsome. Maybe she shouldn't have thought that, considering he was probably a year or two younger than her. It was difficult to tell, though. His expressions had seemed too intense for someone younger than her, and yet for a moment he'd seemed to break…

" _Can I… can I have a hug?"_

" _Of course."_

He'd clung to her like it was the last hug he would ever get. Or maybe it was the first. Did he have parents? Most normal people her age or younger would, but he had been alone. Except, he'd been looking for someone, hadn't he?

" _Oh? Did you find them?"_

" _...Yeah."_

And then he'd flashed that smirk, the one that been more attractive then it had any right to be, coming from a stranger. But if he'd found who he was looking for, why had he ended up dancing with her afterwards? Unless… he couldn't have meant he'd wanted to find _her?_

"I'm being silly, aren't I?" She said aloud. The Flood looked up from its place at her side.

Well, there was only one way to find out. So she picked up her journal, tore out a page, and started to write.

XXX

 _Some day off this turned out to be,_ Vanitas thought when he finally sunk into bed that night. He only had himself to blame - if he hadn't let Xehanort's involvement slip to Aqua, she wouldn't have freaked out, and they could've kept playing Command Board, and… and what? Playing a stupid board game wouldn't make her his friend.

Wait, since when did he care if she was his friend? He just wanted her for her light. And to forge the X-Blade with, if Ventus ended up being too weak.

 _Light is stupid._ He really should sleep in a different room, the clean smell of it was probably rotting his brain in his sleep. He didn't trust her not to attempt another escape during the night, though, not after what she'd said today.

She was asleep now, though. Like he should be. But first, he'd better check up on Ventus again. He steeled himself and reached inside for their connection. Light flashed behind his eyelids, and then -

 _Safe… sleepy… small… why… mice… hope leave soon…_

Vanitas grit his teeth and let the connection go. Not much of anything helpful this time. It was still more difficult than it should've been, especially considering he could tell Ventus was close. Probably still on this world, though apparently he wanted to leave. What was keeping him here?

...Unless he could feel Vanitas nearby, too. Or if Terra had foolishly decided to stay, even after that display of darkness. But that wouldn't make sense; he'd felt Ventus's sadness and abandonment the previous night. They had to have separated.

 _Ugh. Guess I'll just have to check it out in person._

But that was a worry for tomorrow. He'd deal with those idiots in the morning. For now, he tried to just enjoy the fact that he was inside, he had a warm bed, and Aqua hadn't escaped while he was gone.

His plan would still work, regardless of what she knew. He just had to be patient.

 **A/N: A disclaimer I keep forgetting to mention - I'm not trying to imply that Vanitas's feelings towards Aqua are healthy. In fact, I'd argue that at this point, they're definitely not. But he's very messed up and still has a long way to go.**


	10. Escaping

**A/N: Um… well… clearly I lied again. Here's another chapter ^^; The main reason ASAS is taking so long (other than that I have a lot of inspiration for this fic) is that I need to replay a couple bits of Dream Drop Distance to make sure I get some parts of that chapter right. That might still take me a little while, so I'll stop making promises I don't know if I'll be able to keep, especially since I've already started on the chapter after this one. *sweatdrop***

 **Also, surprise, this** _ **isn't**_ **a Terra/Cinderella chapter. This bit ended up needing to come first time-wise, but Terrella will be back next time!**

Aqua almost screamed. Was Void ever going to let her get a full night of sleep? The Cursed Coach had suddenly started rolling erratically, throwing her against the inside wall. Her Flood had woken too and was hiding in the floor. Its little puddle vibrated nervously.

"Shhh, it's okay," she whispered to it, though she wasn't so sure. More Unversed had appeared in the room, and they didn't look as friendly as the Flood. The group was comprised of Bruisers and Scrappers mostly, plus a couple of Red Hot Chillis. Aqua summoned her keyblade and prepared for the worst.

" _No!"_ Void called from under his covers. Aqua pressed herself against the wall at an angle where he wouldn't see her, even though it was probably too late already. "Xehanort…!" He cried out as if in pain. Had one of his own Unversed turned against him? No - they were fighting _each other._

"What…?" She peeked farther out, then tumbled forward when the Coach jolted again. It seemed to be whipping a nearby Bruiser, who turned and rammed itself towards her. Thankfully, the bars of the cage prevented it from reaching her, but it still shook the Coach violently. How was this all not waking up Void? He'd said that if she attacked his Unversed, he'd feel it; did the same not apply for them attacking each other?

"Stop it! You'll kill-!" Void's sharp, desperate words cut off, dissolving into gibberish.

"Is he… talking in his sleep?" Aqua asked. The Flood tentatively poked its head out of its puddle, an odd sight. Then it emerged fully and darted out the bars and across the floor.

"Come back!" She called to it in a loud whisper. "You'll get hurt out there!"

But it didn't. It dodged under a Bruiser's foot, past the claws of a Scrapper, and stopped next to the hallway door. It stared back at her and twitched its antennae.

Watching it, Aqua realized this might be her best chance. She hadn't anticipated this chaos, but it might work more to her advantage than her original escape plan.

She knocked on the Cursed Coach, hoping that in its confusion it would open up, even though it would normally refuse while Void was asleep. Her luck wasn't that strong - the Unversed rolled off again, jerking her sideways and almost clipping the corner of Void's bed. Even though he must be deep in the thrall of sleep, he certainly would have woken if they'd collided.

"I can't… please…" Void murmured. If Aqua hadn't been so busy just trying to stay standing inside the crazed Unversed, she might have thought about how pained he sounded. Instead she just felt relieved.

 _Alright. We'll just move on to Plan B._ Which had been Plan A up until a few moments ago, anyway. She would have rather implemented it in the early morning when she was well-rested, but she wouldn't complain at this opportunity.

She pulled on her boots and loaded up her command deck. She had already installed the Sleep command she'd won off of Void; now it was just a matter of seeing if it would work on the Cursed Coach.

She took a deep breath and pressed her palm against its side. "Sleep."

At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then its rolling slowed, slowed, and came to a stop. She cast a quick glance at Void, but he was still buried under his blankets, murmuring against the white noise of the Unversed's brawl.

 _Here goes nothing._ As her heart pounded against her ribcage, she heaved up on the underside of the Coach's mouth. It was lighter than it looked; she was able to pry the barred window open. After that it was a simple matter to slip through and touch down on the floor.

"Don't… Aqua…"

She froze upon hearing Void mumble her name. Was some part of him still awake? She wanted to dart out the door before she found out, but if he did awaken, he would catch up before she could get far. The safer bet would be to cast Sleep on him too.

She skidded and side-stepped around the infighting Unversed, resisting the instinct to just stab them with her keyblade. There was always the chance that that could still wake him.

Then she was at the side of his bed, staring at her reflection in his mask. She realized suddenly that if he was awake, she wouldn't know until it was too late. His eyes could even be open right now.

" _Sleep,"_ she whispered quickly. It was immediately clear that it had worked - the tension bled out of his neck; his silent shaking went still. The Unversed in the room calmed and then faded away, until only the small Flood was left.

 _He was having a nightmare_ , she realized. _That must have been what spawned them._ Ironic, considering he was a living nightmare himself.

Briefly - and foolishly - she considered removing his mask while he was sure to be unconscious. What kind of face would the monster have? Did he have one at all?

She shook her head and left him alone. That was a risk she couldn't take, not when she was so close to her freedom.

The Flood was still waiting for her at the door. She turned the handle, and… it jiggled uselessly. Locked. Locked! Of course it was locked. Void never used it; he was always going in and out with his portals. Normally she would just her keyblade to open the door, but doing so would cause such a lightshow it was bound to wake Void, Sleep spell or not.

Then she realized something that made her want to slap herself. It was locked - but it was locked _from the inside._ Of course, this _was_ a bedroom, after all.

So she flicked the latch, turned the handle, and slowly pushed open the door. It let out an ominous _creeeeeeak -_ the poor thing couldn't have been oiled in years. She glanced back at Void and the Cursed Coach, but they showed no signs of movement.

Could she really do it? After all her planning, all her worrying, could she be out so quickly?

The Flood tried to slip past her, but she held out her leg, as if forbidding a dog from leaving the house.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to it, and was surprised to find that she actually was. The blue creature had been her only company - well, her only likable company - since she'd been kidnapped. "I can't take you with me." She couldn't risk Void somehow tracking her that way.

The Flood's head hung, but it stayed behind her as she closed the door.

And then she was free. Well, almost - she still had to find Vanitas. And do it before Void awoke and realized she was missing.

 _Deep breaths. I'm a Keyblade Master. I can do this._

With adrenaline powering her steps, she took off down the moonlit hallway.

XXX

"Gah!" Vanitas bolted upright, his ears still ringing from the sound of something knocking on his helmet. "What the-!"

A Flood perched on his chest. What? He'd been fast asleep - well, he'd been having a nightmare, but then it had suddenly faded away. He'd been left in a peaceful emptiness deep as the Void itself. No feelings, and therefore, no Unversed. So where had this one come from?

It knocked sharply on his helmet again.

"I'm up, idiot." He swatted its arm away. "What is it?"

The Flood hopped down from the bed and slithered over to the door. Vanitas tensed and silently followed, removing his helmet and pressing his ear to the thick wood. He didn't hear anything, but the Flood was still gesturing towards it wildly.

"Alright, alright," he whispered, putting his helmet back on. "I'll check it out. Let's just make sure Aqua's still asleep first."

It threw its arms in the air and rolled its head. Sassy little thing.

Vanitas crept towards the Cursed Coach, hoping he hadn't woken her up with his shout. He didn't see any movement, at least, but even with his keen eyesight it was too dark inside to tell for sure.

Until he was within a foot of the Unversed. Then his breath stopped, and he finally understood what his Flood had been trying to tell him:

Aqua was gone.

His jolt of fear produced a flock of Archravens that flapped madly around the room. He struck three out of the air with a Dark Firaga, cursing the idiotic creatures, cursing himself for being weak enough to accidentally let so many out. But they were here now, so he shoved aside his racing thoughts and decided to make the most of it.

"Find Aqua," he ordered them. They still fluttered around the room, until he shoved open the door and shooed them out. At the last second, and prompted by his earlier nightmare, he added: "And don't hurt her if you can help it."

That might be a mistake - after all, if she did make it out of the castle, he was done for - but it was too late. The Archravens were already gone.

The oddly expressive Flood wasn't, though. It stood next to the door, impatiently tapping one of its skinny feet.

"I'm coming, idiot. We wouldn't be having this problem if you'd woken me up _before_ she escaped. And you!" He turned to the Cursed Coach, whose tiny eyes at the top of its stem were still closed. At his shout they blinked open lazily. "I'd like to hear you try to explain to me how she escaped when she was _literally inside you._ If I don't just kill you first."

But he didn't have time to do either of those things. Aqua was getting away as he spoke. She could already be off this world, especially if she'd somehow called his bluff about "Vanitas." He tried not to think about that.

"You coming or what?" He called to the Flood, then ran out the door.

XXX

Empty. Empty. Empty.

Aqua unlocked door after door with her keyblade, but each lifeless room only made her hope sink further. Where could Void have hidden Vanitas? By glancing out a window as she ran past, she had gathered that they were still in the Castle of Dreams, if a strangely uninhabited part of it. It couldn't _all_ be this empty; surely there was only a small area Void could have staked out.

 _Was his letter really a fake after all? It sounded so much like Vanitas…_

She banished the thought. He _had_ to be here somewhere. She would find him before -

She heard the flapping of wings. Getting louder.

"Unversed," she hissed, running faster; there weren't any doors to pause and check in this hall, anyway. Maybe checking doors was a waste of time - she could go straight to the Castle Guard. They had been fighting Unversed at the ball; surely they could help her look for Vanitas. If it wasn't too late by then…

She glanced over her shoulder in time to see a whole flock of flying Unversed round the corner. She hadn't seen these before, but she'd rather not get close enough for her Scan ability to give her their name.

Columns passed in a blur as she fled, but she could hear the Unversed still gaining. Running wasn't going to work. Besides, if they were here, that meant Void was already awake.

 _Guess I'll find out what they're called after all._ She spun, assumed a solid battle stance, and faced down dozens of glowing red eyes.

 _Send all the monsters you want, Void. You're not taking me back!_

XXX

Vanitas clenched his jaw against the pain and panic that returned to him with the death of each Unversed. Aqua was still close. _Too close,_ he thought as another wave of backwashed emotion hit him. She was ripping through the Unversed too quickly for him to replace.

 _It doesn't matter. I can still take her on my own,_ he told himself. _I'll just wear her down enough to cast Sleep and -_

Oh. No, he wouldn't. _She_ had his Sleep command. He would've smacked himself for his stupidity, but he was already in enough pain from the deaths of his Unversed.

Not only did she have his Sleep, she had several of his other powerful commands. It would take a near-impossible stroke of luck to defeat her at this point.

His Flood paused at the intersection of hallways up ahead and peered around the corner. Vanitas didn't need its caution to know that Aqua would be there; he felt her cutting through his last Archraven. And worse - he thought he heard other footsteps, pounding in time with the clinking of armor. If the Castle Guard showed up, he knew he couldn't take them all on at once. He might be arrogant, but he wasn't a complete idiot. ...Usually.

He pressed his fist to the front of his helmet, thinking for all he was worth. He couldn't fight her himself. He didn't have the stamina to overwhelm her with his Unversed, like he'd tried to do with Terra. Violence was really letting him down this time; he wasn't accustomed to needing alternative solutions to his problems. Except when -

Except when he'd disguised himself to enter the ball.

An idea sprouted in his mind. A stupid, desperate idea. But he _was_ desperate.

He opened a corridor, trying to ignore the tiny part of him that was relieved he might not have to fight her after all.

XXX

"Madam, I must ask you to leave at once," a guard told Aqua. She turned away from the door she'd just opened - empty again - to face them. Shimmering torchlight bathed their faces, making them look almost as spectral as the Unversed.

"Believe me, I would love to," she told them, banishing her keyblade and raising her hands in a gesture of peace. Two of the five guards recoiled. Right. They wouldn't be used to weapons magically appearing and disappearing. The other three lowered their pikes threateningly. "Please, I really do want to leave. I'm only here because I was kidnapped."

"Our king would never do such a thing!" The first guard - presumably the captain, by the extra-tall plume on his cylindrical helmet - replied. She couldn't help thinking he looked ridiculous, with that tall hat and stern, unchanging expression. Like a toy soldier, or one of the nutcrackers the Master had them set up around the winter holidays.

"You will come with us, and he will be the judge of your crime," the captain continued.

Seriously? Had she escaped only to be thrown in a different prison? Keyblade wielders were supposed to follow the laws of each world they visited, but she would break that rule in a heartbeat to avoid being captured again.

"I don't think your king had anything to do with it," she tried to explain quickly, before they just decided to try and grab her. She didn't want to have to fight them if she could help it, especially when Void could appear at any moment. "There's a boy hiding in the Castle. He's the one making all of the monsters that keep appearing. I just escaped, but before I can leave I need to find my friend that he kidnapped too."

The captain frowned thoughtfully, then brought his pike back to a resting position. "Very well. If there are multiple intruders in the castle, then it is our duty to find them too. But _then_ we will take you to see the king."

Aqua nodded. She didn't know if the king would believe her story, but she _had_ danced with the prince. He'd seemed like a kind and reasonable man. Maybe he would be willing to pull a few strings to ensure they were set free.

There were no more signs of Unversed, but Aqua was still sure to keep as quiet as possible as they searched the surrounding halls. Noise might not make as much of a difference as that torchlight, though. Where was Void? Her skin pricked with goosebumps; she expected him to leap out of a portal any moment. Had the guards frightened him off? She asked if they would keep close together for safety, and the captain agreed, though he interpreted that to mean he should keep Aqua in the center of his soldiers where she couldn't run away.

"Captain!" A broad-chested guard called, looking down the next hall. "There's a monster this way!"

"Only one?" He called back, and the group of them jogged over, Aqua easily keeping pace in the center of their formation. She wished they would let her past; it would still feel good to take out her frustration and fear on Void's creations.

When she saw which particular Unversed it was, though, she called, "Wait a minute."

It was a Flood, just slightly smaller than most. It was scratching at the bottom of a door at the end of the hall. At the sound of her voice, it jumped up and waved its thin arms, as if calling her over.

"What is this?" The captain asked her, his frown so sharp it could've cut glass. "Are you in league with these creatures?"

"No, I hate them as much as you do. But this one's different. I think it's the one that helped me escape."

It sounded ridiculous now that she said it out loud. The captain raised an eyebrow; she blushed.

"I'll go check it out. If that's alright."

He nodded curtly, his eyes not leaving her. As if there was anywhere she could run in this dead-end hallway. She clenched and opened her fists, trying to shake off her exasperation at the guards. They were just trying to do their jobs.

She slowly approached the twitching Flood. It looked up, but didn't attack. That was a good sign.

"Hey, little guy. I need to get to that door; can you step aside for me?"

It blinked its narrow eyes at her. Then it skittered out of the way, taking its place behind her. She smiled.

"Thank you."

" _Aqua?"_ A voice called from behind the door. _"Aqua, is that you?"_

Her heart skipped a beat; her smile broke into an all-out grin. "Vanitas! Hold on, I'll have you out in a second!"

" _Good. I'm getting sick of all the dust in this stupid place."_

Apparently he was in good enough shape to be snarky. She laughed in relief and summoned her keyblade.

"Hey!" The captain called, but she was already unlocking the door. The brilliant flash of light startled the guards back, but to their credit, they didn't run away entirely. She heard one of them murmur, "Who _is_ this woman?"

Aqua pulled open the door, and was surprised at how dark it was inside. There were no windows to let in the faint moonlight. She blinked for a few seconds before she finally saw a glimmer of gold reflecting the firelight behind her.

"Vanitas?"

He stepped out of the shadows into the doorway. He was still dressed in the red formal suit from the ball, but it was smeared with dust. She searched him for signs of injury and didn't have to look far - a thin scar cut across his cheek, turned diagonal by the curve of his smirk.

"Miss me?"

She laughed and pulled him into a tight hug, surprising herself along with him. "Of course. I was so worried about you."

When he didn't reply, and made no move to hug her back, she let him go and looked into his face. In spite of that smirk, she noticed for the first time how wide his eyes were. Fear danced there along with the reflection of the flames. She also noticed… something else. A feeling she'd grown accustomed to over the past few days.

He was emitting darkness.

"Alright, you two," the captain called. "That's enough. Come with me."

Vanitas froze. "What does that guy want with us?"

"He thinks we're intruders," Aqua explained, saving her sudden anger for a more appropriate time. _Void, I don't know what you did to him, but you're going to pay for it._ "He wants to take us to see the king. It's okay though, I think I can convince them to let us go."

"I wouldn't be so sure," he replied, eyes darting around wildly. If he noticed the Flood that had sidled up to Aqua's legs, he didn't acknowledge it.

"I'm not sure we have a choice, unfortunately."

One guard was approaching them with his pike held steady. He kept his voice kind as he said, "The Captain's softer than he looks. He'll keep you kids safe if you come along."

"We're not kids," Vanitas said sharply, but the effect was ruined by how he had to lift his chin to meet the guard's eyes.

"But we _will_ come," Aqua added, given Vanitas a look that she hoped said, _just play along. Trust me._ It must have worked well enough, because he gave a shallow nod.

The guard grinned, looking a little relieved. Woman or not, she'd managed to intimidate them with her keyblade. She sighed; it was things like this that made Terra call her a girl "sometimes."

The five guards circled around them, then marched them through the maze of dim hallways. They didn't seem to notice, but Aqua saw the little Flood following behind, a dark stain against the red carpet of the floor. Well, if it had helped her find Vanitas, it couldn't be too much of a danger, could it?

They navigated the sharply turning corridors until their warm torchlight was joined by flickering candelabras. Vanitas flinched, as if the pinpricks of light were physically hurting him. Or maybe he was just afraid of reaching their destination. She wanted to comfort him, but was too wary to do anything more than smile reassuringly.

"I really think we should get out of here," Vanitas said under his breath, gaze still sweeping the castle. "You said you've got a keyblade, right? Can't you just take these losers out?"

"...I'd rather not," she quietly replied. "If worst comes to worst, I can try. But I still think we can settle this peacefully. The prince was reasonable when I danced with him; I believe he will listen to me."

"Yeah, if they don't just lock us up because of me first. I stole you from him, remember?"

"I wouldn't say you _stole_ me. It wasn't like he owned me after one dance." She frowned. "Still, I could see how his father might not be happy about that, considering what Henri said about him."

Vanitas snorted. One of the guards prodded him in the back with the butt end of his pike.

"Quiet, you two."

Aqua spun towards the guard, clenching a fist tight to keep herself from summoning her blade. "Don't touch him. Can't you see that he's been through enough?"

"Give them a break, Jean." One of the other guards placed a hand on his shoulder, and he had the decency to look embarrassed.

"...I don't look _that_ rough, do I?" Vanitas muttered as he stared down at himself.

He kind of did, but he probably didn't need to hear that from her right now. Besides, the captain was knocking on a door, signaling their arrival. A few seconds passed before a mustached man in a nightgown answered. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and put on a monocle.

"Captain? It's…" he yawned again, "awfully late. Is something the matter?"

"Yes, my lord. We have discovered two intruders in the castle. They may even be related to the thefts the cooks have reported recently. Would you ask the king what should be done?"

Aqua blushed, glad that she had rejected most of the food that Void had attempted to share with her.

"Well, let's take a look at them first." The man adjusted his monocle, then blinked rapidly when his eyes landed on her. "Well! This is - this is wonderful! Oh, the king will be thrilled!"

"He will?" The captain balked.

"Yes, yes," the man waved him away. "I can take care of them from here. Thank you very much, Captain. I will inform the king of your success."

"Err… yes, my lord."

With a last glance at her and Vanitas, the captain and the guards marched away. Then they were alone with the strange mustached man. While his words had made her hopeful, the way he stared at her was a little unnerving.

"Why would the king be excited to see me?" She asked, though she already had a sneaking suspicion. Hopefully Henri had been exaggerating about just how much his father wanted him to court someone.

"Oh - well, nevermind that." He coughed into his fist. "I'm sure he'll want to tell you himself. Now! Follow me, please!"

After he turned his back on them, Aqua shared a worried look with Vanitas. He mouthed the question she was already thinking: _Run?_

A moment of hesitation, and then she shook her head. Void could still be prowling the halls; their safest bet would be to have the king lead them to the castle's exit.

He nodded almost imperceptibly. His pupils were still wide, his jaw still set. He followed behind her, as if trying to hide within her shadow. Again she felt the darkness wafting from him.

 _Vanitas, what did he do to you…?_ His letter had said he was doing fine, but he must have been trying to put on a tough face for her. Either that or Void hadn't allowed him to write about what was really going on.

In less than a minute, they had arrived at a different door, this one much larger and more ornate than the last. Their guide cleared his throat and then knocked thrice.

"Oh, I certainly _hope_ he is happy to see you…" He said under his breath. Aqua forced herself to stand straight and still; better not to show how nervous she was. If nothing else, maybe her display of confidence would calm Vanitas.

The door opened, revealing a short and rather pudgy man, who didn't look particularly happy to see anyone.

"Duke? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Err, yes, Your Majesty, but I thought you would want to see this immediately." The duke stepped aside, leaving Aqua open to the king's scrutiny. He squinted, rubbed his eyes, and then let out a bellowing laugh.

"Aha, you've done it!" The king clapped. "The boy said it couldn't be done! She vanished into thin air, he said! But here she is!"

He stretched his arms out towards Aqua, but she took a step back, bumping into Vanitas. That was when the king noticed him.

"But _you!"_ His face burned red. Vanitas grinned tauntingly.

"What about me?"

"Sire, your blood pressure!"

The king swatted the duke's warning hand away. "I'll have none of that! This is the lad who ruined my son's dance! Why have you brought this miscreant here? Take him away, lock him in the dungeon!"

"I'd like to see you try, you old-"

"But Sire, you're being absolutely-"

" _Stop!"_ Aqua finally yelled. If only she had a Stop command in her deck - but her shout was effective, at least startling the three of them into silence. "There's been a misunderstanding, Your Majesty. Vanitas and I are innocent. We were kidnapped from your ball a few days ago, and when we escaped tonight, your guards found us in the castle. Please, we both just want to go home."

Her voice finally cracked. The lack of sleep, the desperate escape attempt, the arguing - it was all adding up, slowly grinding her down in spite of her determination to stay strong.

"Go home? Why, but this will be your home shortly, my dear!" The king beamed at her, as if he'd just told her she'd won the lottery.

"What are you talking about?" Vanitas demanded before she could get the words out. "You're not going to kidnap us too."

"Of course not!" The duke said; meanwhile the king took a step towards Vanitas, hands on his hips.

"Hmph! As if I would want to-!"

" _Enough!"_ Aqua forced herself between them. Master Eraqus would not be proud of her 'diplomacy' here, but that was the least of her concerns now. "I do not know what you are implying, Your Majesty, but I will _not_ be staying here. And neither will Vanitas."

"What - you - are you suggesting that you wouldn't marry the Prince?" The king asked.

" _Marry_ him?" Aqua repeated in an attempt to process the question. She'd been warned that the prince was supposed to court someone, but _marriage?_ Did the king have her confused with someone else?

"Of course she wouldn't," Vanitas scoffed, then stole a glance at her. "Right?"

Though she agreed with his sentiment, she shot him a warning look. His unbridled tongue could easily get them into even deeper trouble.

"What he means is, I barely know the Prince. We danced for fifteen minutes at the most."

"Yes, I'm aware." The king glared at Vanitas again before clearing his throat. "But there would be plenty of time to get to know him between now and the wedding."

How could he even say that with a straight face? She couldn't get married! Not to the Prince, not to anyone - she was a Keyblade Master, for light's sake! It was so ridiculous that she was torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to slap the king. She'd just escaped captivity; darkness was threatening the worlds; Terra and Ven could be in danger. She didn't have time to stand here and argue with a delusional old man, king or not.

"There will be _no wedding,"_ she said.

"But - but-" The king's jaw flapped as he searched for words. "You would be Queen one day!"

"No, thank you." She turned to walk away, but the duke reached out to grab her arm.

"Don't touch her!" Vanitas shouted, but the duke ignored him.

"Please, mademoiselle, would you reconsider?" He practically begged. His eyes were even more frightened than Vanitas's had been. Whatever crazed politics were going on here, she wanted no part of them. She jerked her arm out of his weak grip.

"My decision is final," she said icily.

"But-!" The king began to stutter.

Rainfell sprung to Aqua's hand in a flash of light. She didn't point it at either of them, but they scrambled back anyway.

"I _said,_ my decision is final."

She looked towards Vanitas, who was smirking at the royals' reactions. For the first time tonight, he didn't look the least bit afraid. Void had probably threatened him enough that the shock of summoning a keyblade had worn off.

"Come on. We'll find our way out on our own," she told him, though her hands trembled at the thought of running into Void again.

Vanitas nodded. As they sprinted down the hall, he called one last insult over his shoulder.

"See ya never, losers!"

XXX

By the time they stopped just within the forest, Vanitas's lungs felt ready to explode. It must have only been ten minutes at most, but he felt like he'd been fleeing through dark hallways and starlit courtyards for an eternity.

"You think we lost them?" He asked between gasps of air. Of all the training Xehanort had forced him to endure, he hadn't included distance running. Pretty inconsiderate of him.

Aqua glanced over her shoulder before sinking to the ground. "I think so. They'll be more concerned with protecting the castle than chasing after us, I think."

"I don't know." Vanitas sat down beside her, though he was careful to keep a safe distance between them. "That idiot seemed pretty set on marrying you off to his kid."

"He was pretty stupid, wasn't he?" She smiled at him. His heartbeat stuttered, as if he needed another reminder of how intent it was on betraying him lately.

"Yeah. Did you see how red his face got? I thought he was actually going to explode."

She laughed; he hated how much he enjoyed that sound. How much he'd missed it. This half-thought plan had only stolen him a little more time; he couldn't let himself get used to it.

"I thought so too. You really shouldn't have pushed him, you know."

He shrugged. "I don't think it mattered. He still would've flown off on me."

"You're probably right… It's hard to believe he was so upset by you. Whether you had come to the ball or not, I wouldn't have married the prince." She shuddered. "And he was so caught up in that, we didn't get the chance to tell him about Void."

"Yeah." Vanitas swallowed. So far, she'd shown no signs of suspicion towards him - the opposite, in fact. She seemed even more happy to see him than he'd expected. It was… jarring, to say the least. Not unpleasant, though.

Aqua scooted a little closer to him, looking him in the eyes. It was hard not to flinch back from them now that his face was bare again.

"Vanitas, if you don't mind me asking… what did he do to you?"

"Nothing," he lied, dodging her gaze. "Just threw me in that room and ignored me, basically."

She frowned. "Vanitas. Please. If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to, but you don't need to lie."

"...I don't want to talk about it." He pulled his knees close to his chest. It was hard to keep his breathing even. She couldn't guess, she couldn't know…

"Alright," she reluctantly replied. "Would you mind if I healed you, at least?"

"I'm fine," he told her. He might look rough, but he wasn't injured - at least, not in any way she should be able to see.

Her fingers reached out, lightly touching his cheek. At first he was too surprised to recoil. Then he wasn't sure he wanted to.

"Then what's this?" She asked.

What was what? Oh - the cut from the shards of his shattered helmet. He hadn't had the chance to cast Cure on it, and then he'd forgotten.

"Uh…"

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me how it happened, but can I fix it?"

Her hand was still on his face. It smelled like flowers. What had she said? Oh, right. Fixing him.

"What, you've got a band-aid or something?" He asked, since "Vanitas" wouldn't know about Cure magic. She laughed a little.

"Not exactly." A soft green light pooled around her fingers, cool and soothing against his skin. He'd expected it to burn him, the way light spells typically would, but it was just a regular Cure, if one cast with more skill than his own.

"That's… a lot better than a band-aid," he said, touching the now-smooth spot where her hand had been. "Feels good as new."

"I'm glad." She smiled again, though it didn't reach her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out - something else caught her attention. Vanitas looked in the direction she was facing, back towards the castle.

"Guards again?" He stood, itching to summon Void Gear. It felt like ages since he'd just been able to fight something.

"No - look. There, on the ground."

She stood and pointed, and he saw it. A dark blue puddle, zipping towards them. Vanitas relaxed; it was just a Flood. The same one that had been following him around back at the castle, he could tell when he reached out to it through his heart. Not only was it sassy, it was also persistent. Why would it have followed him all the way out here? He hadn't given it any commands. In fact, he still had no idea when he'd created it.

Then he remembered he should probably look scared, or at least concerned. So he did.

"You can kill it, can't you?" He asked her.

"...I guess so," she said, though she looked reluctant when it appeared out of the ground a few feet away. "It's funny. I know they're monsters, but this one… it's still all by itself. I wonder if it's the one that helped me escape?"

" _What?"_ Vanitas shouted. Aqua looked at him in surprise, then bit her lip.

"I know it sounds strange, but that's what happened. It led me to the room where Void was keeping you, too."

 _Traitor,_ Vanitas thought, shooting a glare at the Unversed. It kept its distance, twitching its antennae curiously.

"It sounds like some kind of trap to me," he muttered. A disconcerting thought tickled the back of his mind: _why_ had the Flood helped Aqua escape? It was a part of him, if a tiny, insignificant one. It shouldn't be capable of acting completely against him.

"I thought so, too. But Void was out cold when it happened. Besides, what could he gain from letting us go?"

 _Seeing you smile again,_ the thought flashed through his dug his fingernails into his arm, banishing it.

"I don't know. But I still don't think we should trust that thing." He reached out to the Flood again, mentally prodding it to go away. It must've been as stupid as it looked, because it still stood there, blinking at him like it had been Confused.

"Well… alright." She sighed and summoned her keyblade. Before she could take more than a step towards it, the Flood decided to listen to him, and it scampered off into the trees.

"Weird little thing." Vanitas shook his head. "I didn't think you had a soft spot for monsters, Aqua."

"...Me neither. It's silly, isn't it?" She sat back on the ground, leaning against the base of a thick tree. "It still makes me wonder, though… Void said that they're made out of his emotions. If this one really did help me, do you think that means he has some good in him?"

Something squirmed in Vanitas's chest at the question. It didn't surface as an Unversed, thankfully. He sat down in front of her, head resting back against the opposite tree.

"No," he finally answered. "I don't."

She nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. Even if one of his Unversed was good, it doesn't change what he did to us." She placed her hand over her heart. "Speaking of which… I think I can fix something else he did to you, Vanitas."

"What?" He asked, brow furrowing. "I never told you what else happened."

"I know, but… I think he did the same thing to me. I'm not sure how to explain it in a way that would make sense if you're not a keyblade wielder."

"Try me," he challenged. She hesitated, but went on.

"You know how I told you that he wanted my light? Well, he took some of it, once." She shuddered, pulling her legs in close. "It was horrible. Like I was being sucked empty. Like I was never going to feel happy again. Did he ever do something that made you feel that way?"

 _I… made her feel like that?_ Honestly, he hadn't thought about the consequences of taking her light. He'd just assumed she had so much she wouldn't miss it; the Princesses never did. It was hard to remember that for as bright as she felt compared to a monster like him, she still wasn't flawless.

He dug his fingers through the soft autumn dirt, remaining silent.

"I'm only asking because, well… I can sense darkness from you now."

His head shot up, shock plain to see. _Stupid! How did I forget that? She knows, she can see right through me -_

"It's okay!" Aqua held out her hands in a calming gesture. "I mean, darkness isn't okay, but what I mean is - I think I might be able to help fix it."

"Fix - you want to get rid of my darkness?" He finally realized. It didn't make sense. You _couldn't_ get rid of darkness. At least, not permanently - his whole existence was proof of that.

"I don't know how to do _that,"_ Aqua admitted. "But I think I can give you back some light. It's the least I can do, after everything I've put you through."

"It wasn't your fault. I thought I told you to stop apologizing for it." He should have just taken advantage of it, but those words had stabbed him as badly as her light had. Maybe even worse.

"Let me try to help you, then. It'll make me feel better."

"...Well, we wouldn't want _you_ to feel bad, now would we?" He rolled his eyes, but a smirk stayed on his face. Because it was _so like her_ to pretend she was the one being selfish, when she probably didn't have a selfish bone in her body.

"Is that your way of saying yes?" She asked.

"Yeah, sure." He shrugged. It would be more suspicious of him to deny help. And if whatever she did ended up hurting him, it couldn't be worse than the punishments Xehanort regularly inflicted.

She scooted forward, brushing dead leaves out of the way to kneel in front of him.

"Alright. This shouldn't hurt, but tell me if it does, okay?"

He nodded, not sure if that made him feel more worried or less. Then she reached out and placed her hand over his heart. He swore she would feel it beating out of his chest.

She closed her eyes tight, and wispy light coalesced around her palm. Vanitas smelled it before he saw it - the sweet mix of honeysuckle and cold rain he thought he'd grown used to. The wisps sunk through his stolen coat, through his skin, into his heart. He clenched his teeth in preparation for pain… but it didn't come. At least, not the way it did when he stole light himself. It felt a little like standing just a little too close to a fire - warm and comforting, so long as he didn't stay there too long. It filled him with something he couldn't describe, something he hadn't felt since he was whole…

Peace?

He was so caught up in the feeling, it took several long seconds before his mind actually processed what was happening: she was _giving him light._ Of her own free will. _Why?_ What did she hope to gain?

Her hand slid from him - _all_ of her slid away, nearly collapsing on the leaf-littered ground. He caught her by the shoulders, keeping her upright.

"Aqua?" He asked, shaking her gently. Her eyes blinked open.

"Nnnhh… Vanitas? Are you alright?"

"Why don't you tell me? You're the one who almost passed out."

She laughed a little breathlessly. "Sorry about that… I should have guessed something like this might happen. I was just trying to replicate what Void did, but in reverse."

"You were trying _what?"_ His grip tightened on her shoulders; she flinched a little, and he let go. "You said that felt like being sucked empty! Why the - why would you do that again?"

"Because I didn't want _you_ to have to feel like that," she said, regaining enough strength to smile. "I'm fine, really. How do you feel?"

"...Better than fine," he admitted. He didn't expect it to last long, but at least for now, he felt… he felt _whole_ again. "I still think it was pretty stupid of you to try it, but… thank you."

This time, he didn't even feel a spark of hesitation in saying it.

Though she insisted she was fine, he managed to convince her that they should call it a night. It was more like early morning by now, but neither had the energy to go much further after their daring "escape."

"I had hoped we could…" Aqua yawned, "get you back to your family tonight."

He shook his head, suppressing a bitter laugh. "Don't worry. They're not missing me."

She looked like she wanted to press him about that, but he didn't offer anything more.

"You think… Void will come back for us?" She asked, exhaustion leaking through her voice.

"Maybe. I'll keep watch, just in case."

"No, I should. I'm the one with a keyblade." She yawned again, and he smirked.

"You're also going to pass out any minute. I'll wake you if anything happens. Trust me."

"...Alright. I still owe you one." She lied down next to the tree, using its root as a pillow. Vanitas shook his head.

"You don't owe me anything, Aqua," he whispered. Her light still pumped through his veins with each beat of heart. He didn't want to sleep now, no matter how tired he was. This was a feeling he would savor for as long as he was capable.

He scratched at embroidery around his neck and smiled. Not a smirk, a _real_ smile. It didn't make sense. He was running on basically no plan. It seemed impossible to hide this from Xehanort for much longer. It was probably impossible to hide his identity from Aqua for long, too. But those worries seemed slippery, as if they belonged to someone else. For the moment, Vanitas allowed himself to believe that they did.

 _Those are Void's problems. He can deal with them._ Right now, he didn't feel like Void, a ruthless kidnapper, a monster behind a mask. He didn't even feel like Vanitas, half a heart, ruled by discordant emotions.

He felt like himself. He felt like _Ven._

"Aqua…" He whispered. She was already asleep in spite of the uneven ground. He shook his head and chuckled softly.

"...You're something else."

 **A/N: Whew, this was a monster of a chapter. I feel a bit like Aqua right now, it's like 1 a.m. here and I've been working on this way too long xD Please feel free to point out any typos or anything; this chapter is so long I probably didn't catch them all.**

 **The plot development with Aqua using the Sleep command to escape was inspired by The Unplanner, thanks for that!**

 **Edit: Also, thanks to the Unplanner for catching a mistake I made; Vanitas should still be wearing his ball outfit at the end of this chapter, not his dark suit. This should be fixed now.**


	11. Hiding

**A/N: Hey friends I'm back from the dead, I hope it's not too late to update this lol**

"Terra, do you really think we should stay here?" Ven asked two mornings after Cinderella had officially said goodbye to her stepfamily. They had stayed the night in the inn, along with Cinderella - in separate rooms, of course. Terra had plenty of munny from his last battle with the Unversed to afford it.

"What, would you rather sleep out in the woods?" Terra replied while throwing on his shirt. Even Cinderella hadn't been able to get the stain out, but she had been able to sew up the cut in his pants, thankfully.

"That's not what I meant. Cinderella's safe now, isn't she? We didn't see that many Unversed around yesterday." He sat on the corner of the dresser, swinging his tiny legs off the side.

"But we still saw them," Terra argued. "Vanitas is probably just lying low, waiting for us to let our guard down."

"...Maybe," Ven said. "But there's Princesses of Heart in other worlds, too. Like Aurora and Snow White. What if he's going after them too?"

Terra splashed some water on his face from the room's washbasin, then shook his head. He'd thought about this. To be honest, part of him admitted Ven was probably right.

"Aqua's out there investigating the Unversed too. She can take care of the other Princesses. After all, she's a Master now."

Ven's head hung. "Right…"

"Come on, Ven." Terra dropped to one knee next to the dresser, so his eyes were at his level. "What's going on?"

Ven looked away. "Don't worry about it. You've gotta go walk Cinderella to the market again today, don't you?"

"Hey. That can wait." Normally this would be where Terra would lightly punch Ven's shoulder, but considering the size difference, he had to settle for a smile instead. "Come on, I know something's up."

After a long silence, Ven finally heaved a sigh. "It's… it's the size thing, alright? I mean, Jaq and the mice are great, but I'm sick of being so _small."_

"You've always been small, Ven," he joked. Ven crossed his arms and pouted.

"Yeah, and that's bad enough! I've always been smaller than you and Aqua. I've always - I've always been weaker than both of you," he finished quietly.

"Ven, we've had years more training than you," Terra started, then realized that was probably the wrong thing to say. Ven's slumped shoulders confirmed it.

"You guys aren't _that_ much older than me. If I hadn't lost all my memories from before…"

Terra winced, remembering the first time he'd met Ven. Him falling into a coma over a few simple questions. They still didn't talk about that; Ven just thought he had been in a training accident that resulted in amnesia.

 _And now I know it was something much worse._ As much as he wanted to comfort Ven and tell him he was strong enough to handle himself, Terra couldn't let him run off while Vanitas was still free.

"Hey. You might have lost your memories, but you still have us. Me and Aqua. We've got your back." He smiled.

"Yeah… I know." Ven sighed. "I just wish I could have your back, too."

"You do. I know I can always count on you, Ven." He ruffled his messy blond hair with one finger. "And right now, I'm counting on you to keep the mice out of trouble. They wouldn't stand a chance against the innkeeper's cat without you."

"...Right." Ven put on a smile. Terra knew it wasn't completely sincere, but it would be alright. He always bounced back from things like this.

Terra finished getting ready for the day, but something that Ven had said still haunted him. They _would_ need to leave. Not today, but soon.

And then he would have to say goodbye again…

XXX

Aqua's light slipped away from Vanitas little by little as the pink tint of dawn filtered through the trees. He shivered, hugging himself tight. He almost wished he'd fallen asleep; then he wouldn't be conscious of how it left him feeling empty again, abandoned. Broken. It wasn't like this when he stole light - but then again, when he stole light, the good feeling only lasted for a brief moment, not for the entire duration of the cloaking spell. What Aqua had done had been different somehow.

She was still curled up next to her tree, sleeping soundly. But she would wake soon enough. He needed a new plan before that happened, but his mind was still foggy with exhaustion.

He stuck his hand in his pocket, brushing his fingers over the letter she'd given him, but resisted the urge to pull it out and read it again. That would only disrupt his focus more.

What was his main goal? He had to make sure Xehanort didn't find out that Aqua was still alive. And he had to make sure that Aqua didn't find out who he really was. And, ideally, he would also make sure that Terra had left this world.

He rubbed his temples. He was stretched too thin, backed into a corner. And he'd put himself there with this whole crazy plan. That was what he got for listening to his heart.

 _It's too late to change that now. All I can do is sweep up the pieces until the rest of Xehanort's plan falls into place._

Until the plan fell into place - yes. He could stall until then, couldn't he? He smirked; he was getting a few ideas of how he might do that already. Just as long as Xehanort didn't demand he show back up at the Keyblade Graveyard too soon. Which he shouldn't, as long as Terra did what he was supposed to.

After making sure Aqua was still asleep, Vanitas wandered off a ways through the trees and opened a dark corridor to Radiant Garden. He released as many Unversed as he felt safe creating and sent them through. That should be plenty to draw Terra away from this world.

He crept back to their makeshift camp and settled down next to a tree of his own, then allowed his eyes to close. After all, _he_ at least knew that "Void" wouldn't be coming after them, and he would need as much strength as he could muster for the coming day.

XXX

"Come in, I have a surprise for you," Cinderella said with a smile when Terra knocked on her door. He had no idea what that surprise could be - he'd been with her all day yesterday; he doubted she could have bought him anything at the market - but he followed her in anyway. He swallowed a groan when he saw what it was.

Spread out on her bed was a navy blue tailcoat and straight-legged tan trousers.

"Cinderella, really, my clothes are fine," he insisted. "You did a great job patching them up."

She covered her mouth as she chuckled. "Terra, the seam on your pant leg is already coming undone. Please, this isn't any trouble; it was my father's suit. I asked the birds if they could fetch it from the manor last night."

He discreetly looked down at his pants, but he still didn't notice anything. Maybe girls had an eye for that sort of thing. He _had_ thought he'd felt them catch on something as he was getting ready, though, probably a loose nail.

Regardless of whether or not his clothes were intact, and regardless of if she'd admit it, she'd obviously gone through a lot of trouble to get this outfit for him. At least it might keep him from sticking out like a sore thumb when he escorted her to the market today. Yesterday he'd felt the stares of the townspeople smothering him nearly as much as at the ball.

"Alright," he finally conceded. "Thanks."

Her smile was almost enough to make up for just how uncomfortable those pants were going to be. ...Maybe more than almost.

The clocktower chimed nine by the time they finally made it to the market, Terra in his new and all-too-stifling outfit, Cinderella in another simple brown dress and apron.

"I'm sorry to have you go through all this trouble again," she said as they strolled through the crowded streets. Had there been this many people out yesterday? Maybe it just felt that way because he blended in now; the bustling men and women no longer gave him dubious glances and a wide berth.

"Hey, I don't mind," he reassured Cinderella. "I can always ask more people about Vanitas and the Unversed." Especially if his appearance didn't scare them off like it had yesterday. Granted, that might have been the bloodstain more than the style of his clothes, which he missed already. He wasn't sure how well he could fight in these ridiculous tight pants.

"I would ask the city guard, if I were you," Cinderella said. "You can find them around the gates. I'll be fine on my own for a little while."

"You're sure?" He asked, but she just laughed.

"You're sweet, Terra, but I can't rely on you being here to protect me _all_ the time. Besides, I'll just be talking with the tailors, now that I have all the proper papers." She smiled. Her efforts at finding a job yesterday had been pretty ineffective, but now that her mice and bird friends had stolen back her proof of identity from the Tremaines, she seemed more hopeful. Terra wasn't particularly sure what that had to do with becoming a tailor, but she would know more about the workings of her world than he did.

"Alright." He nodded, a little red-faced. He _was_ being too protective, even if it was for a good reason. She and Ven were right; he couldn't always be here to protect her…

They parted ways at the doors of the tailors' guild. As Cinderella disappeared inside the wooden door, Terra sighed and ran a hand through his hair. What was wrong with him? Why _was_ he so much more concerned with protecting Cinderella than the other princesses? All his instincts, including that strange vision he'd had, told him that she was in danger. But how much of that was him using his head, and how much was his heart?

 _The Master would tell me to use my heart, right?_ He wasn't quite sure anymore. Especially now that he knew there was darkness there…

Someone elbowing him in the side shocked him from his thoughts. His keyblade nearly sprung to his hand, but it wasn't a threat - just a woman a little too hasty on her way into the guild. The streets were getting more packed as the sun rose higher, and he _was_ standing in the way.

He threw one last glance back at the guild before heading towards the city gates. He still had a job to do.

XXX

"Oh, Vanitas." Aqua's chuckle startled him, nearly prompting a few Floods to escape. "I suppose I can't blame you for falling asleep too."

"I'm awake," he insisted, though his slurred voice said otherwise. He hadn't slept that deeply since… ever? To his surprise and dismay, the sun was already casting slanted beams through the trees. He'd planned to awake before her and get the chance to track down Ventus and Terra. But it would still be fine. He had a backup plan this time.

"It's alright. Void didn't find us; that's all that matters," Aqua said, kneeling down beside him. The sun glinted in her blue eyes - or maybe her own light had finally returned to her. He certainly couldn't feel it within himself anymore. The hollowness inside him suddenly felt more painful than ever.

"How are you feeling?" She asked gently, eyebrows scrunched with concern. He didn't get the chance to lie before she continued, "My spell didn't stick, did it."

"...No." He dodged her gaze. There was no point lying about that, not when she could sense his darkness. He could only hope she still wouldn't make the connection.

"Do you want me to try again?"

He looked up sharply at that, eyes widening. "What?"

"I could try again," she repeated, but with less certainty this time. "Only if you'd like me to, though."

"If _I'd_ like-?" He couldn't help it; he laughed incredulously. "Of course I'd like it. But Aqua - you can't do that again."

Those words surprised himself just as much as they seemed to surprise her.

"I can handle a little more pain, Vanitas," she said somberly. "After all, it was my fault-"

"No, it _wasn't."_ He rose to his knees so he could better meet her eyes. "Shut up about that, okay?"

"...Alright." She sighed, dodging his gaze for once. In hindsight, he should have just let her think it _was_ her fault. She'd be much easier to manipulate that way. But for some reason, the thought of that turned his stomach now. Maybe some of her light actually had stayed with him.

He wasn't sure if he found that idea comforting or terrifying.

"We'll need to find a more permanent solution, then," Aqua continued. "I'm not going to leave you like this."

"You - you'd do that?" It didn't make sense. She should want to leave this world, finish her mission of finding Terra or Xehanort or whatever she was supposed to be doing now. Protecting all the worlds, not just… _him._ She wanted to help him; there was no other explanation, but - " _Why?"_

She smiled and let out a small, sad laugh. "Is that so hard to believe? You haven't had many people try to help you before, have you."

 _Many? Try 'none.'_

"...You could say that." He sat back, resting his weight on his hands. Aqua looked uncomfortable before asking another question.

"And… about your family…" She saw his frown, but still continued, "you don't have to tell me, but…"

She was searching for the right words, but Vanitas spared her the effort.

"I don't have one," he answered honestly. His fingers dug in the dirt, feeling its grit beneath his nails.

"You don't…?"

"Not anymore," he snapped. He didn't want her stupid questions dragging up his memories, like her song, the one his dad used to sing…

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Her hand reached out like she might have touched his shoulder, but she held back. Somehow he regretted that.

"Whatever. It's fine. You ready to get out of these woods or not?"

"Yes, but where are we going to go?"

 _We._ He almost laughed. She was making his plan so much easier, and she didn't even know it. It didn't matter where they went - as long as she stayed with him, Xehanort wouldn't find her.

Assuming he could get Terra out of the picture, that was.

XXX

No matter how much Vanitas told her it wasn't her fault, guilt still stabbed at Aqua's chest every time she felt the now-familiar nausea from his darkness. Even worse was the guilt from knowing she still needed to find Terra and Ven; she'd let them both down by being captured. At least she knew now that Master Xehanort was behind this, but that knowledge wouldn't help unless she could share it with Terra or the Master. She could only hope that helping Vanitas wouldn't take long… but with no parents to return him to, that didn't seem likely. And if her magic couldn't return him to normal…

She watched him out of the corner of her eye as they trudged through the undergrowth. He didn't _look_ any different, for all that she could feel the waves of darkness rolling off of him. His clothes were a bit worse for wear, but that was all. Her Cure had healed everything else.

"What?" He asked, catching her eyes on him. She looked away quickly, then realized there wasn't any point in hiding her thoughts.

"Just thinking of how to help with that darkness."

His fist clenched like she'd hit a sore spot, though she wasn't sure why. The darkness wasn't his fault; he had to know that.

"You're smart," he eventually said, a little sharper than necessary. "You'll figure it out. Right?" His voice softened along with his eyes. He really trusted her to help him… she was the _only_ one who could help him.

"I'll do my best," she assured him, though her confidence from before had faded. If only she could ask the Master… but she couldn't take Vanitas to him. Revealing the existence of other worlds was forbidden, much less bringing someone else across worlds. Besides, Vanitas didn't have any armor to protect him on such a journey.

Leaving him here alone was just as dangerous. Void had used him to get to her before; there was no guarantee the monster wouldn't return.

Being a Keyblade Master was more difficult than she'd ever imagined. What good was the magical weapon when she couldn't use it to defeat the darkness?

Those doubts weren't going to help her. She might as well focus on gathering what information she could.

"Do you live somewhere in the city?" She asked, keeping her voice as non-threatening as possible, particularly considering his reaction to her asking about his family. But he had to have been living _somewhere;_ surely there was someone who could help him. He'd gotten that fancy suit from somewhere, at least.

Vanitas kept walking straight ahead as if he hadn't heard. Or didn't want to talk. Mysterious as he'd been at the ball, he hadn't seemed this closed-off.

 _Five days in captivity could change anyone,_ she guessed. It had changed her, hadn't it? She kept her eyes and ears open for any sign of Void as they hiked.

"No," Vanitas answered a few seconds after she'd given up expecting a reply. "I don't really live anywhere."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed huffily.

"I just go where… where I can find food," he finished, not meeting her eyes. "That's why I really went to the ball. Free food."

"So you weren't looking for anyone?" She couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask. She'd asked about that in her second letter, but that was still tucked away in her pocket. They'd escaped before she could have Void deliver it. Now it seemed silly to give it to him when they were together in person.

He shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it."

She frowned at the not-answer, but didn't push it. There were still other pieces that didn't line up.

"Where did you get the clothes?" She asked. A smirk danced on his lips at the question.

"You won't like it."

"Vanitas," she sighed, "I'm trying to help you. I need to know what's going on if I'm to do that."

"Because where I got my clothes is _really_ that important to getting my light back." He rolled his eyes.

"Well - maybe not," she admitted. "I just want you to trust me. I don't really know that much about you, if I'm being honest."

"Trust me, you're better off that way." He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "But if you _really_ want to know, I stole them."

"You - you _what?"_ She shouted, but for some reason he just laughed.

"What, you want me to run around naked? No parents, no munny, I gotta get clothes somewhere."

He was right; she didn't like that. Was he more comfortable with stealing now that he had darkness? But he'd done it before they'd even met… but only because he didn't have any other option, it seemed. Or else because no one had been there to teach him right from wrong. Or any number of reasons she had no way of knowing.

"We'll get you some new clothes in town," she said. Not that one new pair of clothes would be enough to really help him. He'd need a place to live, a job to earn munny… and he was younger than she was. With no Master. No family. No one… except her.

 _I can't do this,_ she suddenly realized. She already had to worry about Terra and Ven; how was she going to help Vanitas too? Not to mention… the rest of the worlds that were still in danger, and here she was, unable to help just one boy…

Her sight went dark. The ground suddenly slid out from under her feet. Pain scratched across her face before her head hit something solid.

"Aqua!" Vanitas crouched down beside her. Wait - crouched? "Aqua, are you alright?"

She was… on the ground. The thought barely registered above just how _hollow_ her chest suddenly felt. Just like when… when…

"Is Void nearby?" She gasped out, wiping blood off her face with her thumb. Blood. A scratch - just a scratch. The brambles must have scraped her on the way down.

"Wha - no, he's not. It's just me," Vanitas said quickly. His gold eyes looked panicked. "What _happened?"_

"Felt… like my light was gone again. Just… for a second." The feeling was gone now. Whatever it was had passed as quickly as it came. "I'm fine, really… you're the one I'm worried about."

He snorted. "Of course you are. Forget about me. I've been taking care of myself a long time."

Without asking permission, he suddenly scooped her off of the ground. She was too surprised to protest - he was shorter than her, yet he managed to hold her across his arms with barely a grunt.

"Vanitas, you don't have to-"

"I'm not about to have you pass out on me again. The city's not far now." Though he tried to sound detached, she didn't miss the wideness of his eyes.

"You're stronger than you look," she said, hoping the compliment would be enough to distract him from worrying about her. He raised an eyebrow.

"You might not be able to tell under this stupid outfit, but I look _very_ strong," he said, and she laughed.

"I'm sure you do. Thank you, Vanitas." She was still a bit embarrassed at being carried by the person she was supposed to be protecting, but… light, she _was_ still scared of that happening again. Blood still trickled down her forehead.

What _had_ happened? Why had she passed out? Had her spell yesterday drained her more than she'd realized? It had felt like death, but she'd thought she'd recover the way she had when Void stole her light. Then again, she hadn't tried doing anything strenuous shortly after that. Maybe she just should've slept longer. Or maybe it was because she'd done it a second time.

It had been risky. Too risky, probably. Still, she couldn't blame herself for trying.

"Have you eaten anything?" Vanitas asked her as he walked.

"Oh. Um…"

"I'll take that as a no." He sighed. "You're out of food by now, aren't you?"

Not technically. She had half a piece of beef jerky in her pocket, which she had to squirm to reach. Vanitas shifted his grip to accommodate her.

"Why, you want some?" She grinned and waved it close to his face before taking a bite. He snorted.

"I just thought it might keep you from passing out again."

It was a fair point. Even if it didn't completely explain the emptiness she'd felt, the thought that her sudden dizziness could be from normal hunger rather than darkness calmed her thoughts somewhat.

"Thanks, Vanitas. Really, I… don't let people help me very often." She blushed a little, suddenly realizing how this would look to anyone else. Particularly Terra or Ven. Strong, solid Aqua, being carried by a regular boy? Embarrassing as it was, it felt… nice. Vanitas didn't laugh at her weakness; he simply acted, leaving no room for argument.

"Don't thank me," he mumbled. "Just get better, okay?"

She nodded. Actually, she was feeling better already, but Vanitas's purposeful stride didn't slow. Maybe she could rest for just a few more minutes… feeling his heartbeat close to hers…

She turned her head so he wouldn't see her blush.

"Looks like this is it," Vanitas said more than a few minutes later, when the dirt road leading to the city gates came into view. "Do you think you can walk now?"

She nodded, and he set her down gently. His hand rested a second too long on her back before quickly drawing back, as if he'd touched a hot stove.

"Great. Let's get going, I think I smell some hot food with our names on it."

She didn't smell anything, but as they approached the gates, she did _see_ something. A figure who stood atop the wall, surrounded by guards.

"Is that - Terra!" She called, not that he would be able to hear from this distance. If it even _was_ him - she could just see the silhouette of his hair against the sky. Then he was running the opposite way, disappearing on the other side of the wall. Strangely, a good chunk of the wall's guards followed him.

"Come on," she said, grabbing Vanitas's hand. His golden eyes were wide, for some reason, as she dragged him along.

"Uh, can you slow down? In case you forgot, I was carrying you for a while there, I'm a little bit tired." His pace slowed, forcing her to little more than a brisk walk. "What's the rush, anyway? You know that - that guy, or something?"

"He's my… He looked like one of my friends, anyway. But I'm not sure," she replied, looking up at the wall again. His appearance had been to brief to say for certain. And she was pretty sure the figure hadn't been wearing Terra's usual shoulder plate, shirt, and suspenders, so unless he'd been smart enough to blend in with the locals, it couldn't be him.

"No, probably not," she decided. "I guess I was just hoping."

Vanitas frowned at that. "Well. Sorry, I guess. C'mon, let's just get some food."

XXX

"Monsters?" The guard lowered his pike and scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry sir, I haven't seen any in a few days at least."

"You're sure?" Terra prodded, leaning against the wall's high battlement and discreetly peering out over the woods, as if Unversed would appear there any moment. True to the guard's word, the only motion was the faint breeze rustling the distant leaves.

"Quite sure, sir. Last night was the most quiet it's been in a while, frankly."

"Except for that message from the Grand Duke," his fellow guard, a taller but lankier man, corrected. "Something about keeping an eye out for a woman with blue hair." His tone was skeptical, but Terra started with a gasp.

"Aqua! She's here?" It had to be her - blue hair obviously wasn't normal on this world. Was she looking for Vanitas too? Even though it had only been a little over a week, it felt like it had been forever since he'd seen her. It would be good to meet up and exchange notes on Vanitas and the Unversed - assuming she was still around.

The guards shared a look, then the lanky one sighed.

"If you know who she is, you should go speak to the Grand Duke at the castle. It seemed urgent that they find her."

"I still don't understand why it's that important, to be frank," the first guard said gruffly. "We're here to protect the city, not run errands for the Duke. It was enough of a mess escorting women to the ball last week with all those monsters about."

"I don't want to get into a predicament like that again either." The second rubbed his face. "But, orders areorders. Especially if she really did manage to escape the entire Castle Guard."

"Escape?" Terra asked. Why would Aqua be on the run from the Castle Guard? Why would she be at the castle at all? Unless… maybe Cinderella had been right about the Unversed appearing there?

The guards nodded.

"We've been told to put her under arrest immediately, along with her spiky-haired accomplice." The lanky guard raised an eyebrow, as if just now taking in Terra's hairstyle. He hadn't had much time to take care of it lately, but it was still definitely spikier than anyone's around here. He took a step back and raised his hands.

"Uh - you don't think I…?"

The guards exchanged another loaded glance. Their shoulders slumped in resignation, but their grips on their pikes tightened.

"Orders _are_ orders, sir."

Terra said a curse that the Master definitely wouldn't have approved of. Then he took the only course of action that came to mind: bolting away.

The guards shouted behind him, calling out to more of the soldiers along the wall. Terra ran to the inner battlement, ready to leap off - only to remember that he'd left his armored boots at the inn. These ridiculous fancy shoes wouldn't protect him from a jump this high. Cursing again, he darted towards the stairs, barely dodging a burly guard who lunged for him.

 _Stupid… tight… pants!_ They constricted his stride, which wasn't as much a problem on the narrow stairs as it was when he leapt the rest of the way to the ground and kept running. He stumbled on the uneven cobblestone. These shoes weren't made for running any more than the pants were; he could feel every crack in the stones underfoot.

He didn't dare look back, but he could hear the thundering footfalls of probably a dozen guards behind him. Could he outrun that many? Normally it wouldn't be a question, but with these stupid clothes -

He darted to the side and into a narrow alley, hoping the quick motion would lose them - or at least the tight space would keep them from following as quickly. Strange outworlder curses echoed behind him. That was a hopeful sign, but he didn't stop running, even when he was afraid he'd split a seam in the brown trousers.

"Maurice, double back! Cut him off at the market!"

Or maybe not so hopeful. He shoved over a pile of rotting crates, buying a few seconds when the guards behind him stopped short of the shattering wood. That was good, but not good enough. He couldn't outrun them, and couldn't let them pin him in the market - he needed another way out. A distraction, like the crates, but better.

He winced even as he thought of it. The Master wouldn't like this. Then again, the Master wouldn't like him to be captured by the Castle of Dreams' law enforcement, either.

Still sprinting for all he was worth, he summoned Earthshaker in a flash of blue lightning and translucent shapes. The guards shouted, but he ignored them - his keyblade wasn't the distraction he had in mind. Suddenly he spun to face his pursuers, aiming the blade at the cobblestone beneath their feet.

"Freeze!"

The bold command was enough to make them pause, even before the Blizzard spell shot from his blade. The ice crashed to the ground, exploding into a spray of frozen shards. The guards hands flew up to shield their faces. Terra didn't waste time worrying about them; he threw himself into a weak-looking wood door in the alley wall. It slammed inward under the impact, the noise lost amid the remaining ice shards clinking as they hit the ground. Quickly he shoved the door shut again and prayed to the light that no one had heard.

Even if they had, the building he'd broken into was pitch black. There was no way they'd find him in here without torches. He blinked rapidly, hoping his own eyes would adjust. If the guards did burst in - he could hear the guards scrambling to their feet out in the alley - he needed more than just darkness to hide him.

He felt his way through the stifling dust as quickly as he dared. Making noise would be as dangerous as being seen. The boards creaking underfoot didn't care for stealth, though. He needed to find a place to hide…

His hand brushed something that felt like smooth wood; after groping for half a second he decided it was probably a table.

 _Good as I'm getting._ He threw himself under the table just as a guard opened the door, letting in a square of blinding light.

"You think he went in _here_?"

"For his sake, I hope not." From his hiding spot, Terra could only see the bottom half of the man's face, but it was marked with a frown. "This old place hasn't been cleaned out in ages. There's no telling what those blasted Moogles left in here. Come on, Cedric, let's go check the square."

With that, they went jogging off, armor clinking all the way.

Terra remained still, hardly daring to breathe. There could always still be other guards who had hung back, trying to trick him out of hiding. Besides, if this was a moogle warehouse, he didn't have anything to fear. Except maybe the moogles themselves accusing him of stealing. He'd deal with that if it came to it.

As the adrenaline slowly drained from his veins, the ridiculousness of the whole situation set in. A blush crept up his face. Why had he ran? He hadn't done anything wrong. He doubted Aqua had done anything wrong either; surely they could have explained themselves to the guards.

Then again, what if Aqua _had_ done something wrong? She wouldn't have believed what he'd done in the last two worlds he visited, either.

But Aqua was a Keyblade Master. She didn't have darkness in her heart like he did. And _he_ was the one who'd ran into trouble with authority in those other worlds… maybe that was why he'd ran. Sure, he might have finally done something right with Cinderella, but he was a long way from completely trusting himself.

He leaned back on his palms, feeling the thick dust under his fingers. The guards were right; the moogles must rarely use this place. Strange, since they were usually so particular about their wares. They'd had a few that visited the Land of Departure sometimes, selling commands or restocking their supply of potions. Maybe in mostly non-magical worlds, there wasn't enough business to bother with keeping the place clean.

The moogles were the least of his concern, though. Aqua. Aqua was here, and possibly in trouble. Keyblade Master or not, she might need his help.

 _Yeah, like you can help her when you're hiding like some kind of loser._ Face still hot with embarrassment, he summoned his keyblade and channeled light to its tip. If he was going to wait it out here, he might as well take a look around. Maybe there was still at least a holo-moogle here who could sell him some new panels before he went in search of Aqua.

He crawled out from under the table and held his blade out like a torch. Dust obscured his vision nearly as much as the darkness did; he coughed and waved it away with his free hand.

Boxes. Boxes, boxes, and more boxes. Made out of cardboard rather than wood, for once; this really must be the work of moogles. This world hadn't invented cardboard yet. Other than that, there was nothing too exciting, except… something in an open box glinted in the light. No, not glinted; it almost seemed to _absorb_ his keyblade's light.

He crept closer, wood floor creaking underfoot. Regardless of what the guards said, he was pretty sure moogles didn't sell anything _really_ dangerous.

As he approached, he could make out what the object was - but what was it doing _here?_

With his empty hand, he carefully picked up the trinket, which felt warm to the touch. Its thin chain dangled through his fingers. Earthshaker hummed in his hand, feeling the proximity of the magical item.

 _Stroke of Midnight,_ the name of the keychain whispered in his mind. He turned the charm over in his hand, feeling the smooth glass of the shoe-shaped item. But that didn't make sense. Glass shoes… and a name like that… it mirrored his experiences with Cinderella, almost as if it had been made with her in mind. Where had the moogles gotten it? Or had it just appeared there for him, the way Treasure Trove and Fairy Stars had in his last two worlds? Even Master Eraqus had never quite been able to explain the origins of keychains, and he'd never found the texts he was forced to read on them particularly exciting. Maybe Aqua had paid better attention.

The sound of something shifting startled him from his thoughts. Quickly he pocketed the keychain and extinguished his light.

The sound drew closer - and he recognized it. One of those small blue Unversed was sliding through the floor, barely noticeable by its faint glow.

 _Vanitas!_ He summoned his keyblade in a flash, taking up a battle stance. Even just one of the creatures meant he could be here. Just as he was about to creep towards the monster, the door flew open.

"Quick, Aqua, in here!" A voice hissed. Terra held his breath. In the brief moment before the door slammed shut again, he caught a sight of two silhouettes.

One of them must be the 'spiky-haired accomplice.' The other, he thought with a flash of both anxiety and relief, was Aqua.

 **A/N: We're finally getting somewhere! I'd wanted this chapter to include Terra and Aqua's meeting, but it ended up a bit too long to fit in. Hopefully it won't take as long for me to get to the next chapter this time, but no promises, especially with KH3 coming out next month. Speaking of which, is anyone else still emotionally destroyed after that last trailer?**

 **You'll find out what Vanitas and Aqua are doing there in the next chapter, if you haven't already guessed.**

 **Not a super important detail, but as far as the Unversed in Radiant Garden go, Mickey's been taking care of them the best he can.**


	12. Reuniting

"Quick, Aqua! In here!"

Aqua dove for the open door, right behind Vanitas and the tiny Flood who had somehow found them again. Following the Flood wasn't a decision she'd wanted to make - it could still be connected to Void - but she couldn't let the city guards catch them. She'd had enough of playing prisoner. At least Void she could fight head-on, now that he wasn't holding Vanitas hostage. He wouldn't take her by surprise again.

Thankfully they were fast enough; the guards sped by on the main street, ignoring the alley that the Flood had slipped down to find this abandoned building.

"You're some kind of freak of nature, you know that?" Vanitas said. For a second Aqua thought he was addressing her, but the amber glint of his eyes was focused on the Flood at his feet. "How'd you find us again, anyway?"

Aqua was about to remind him the creatures couldn't talk, but it just shrugged and gestured deeper into the building. Not that she could see anything deeper in; the only light came from the ethereal glow surrounding the Flood.

"You want us to check it out, huh?" He asked. Aqua's brow furrowed.

"I don't think so. Void could be here, for all we know. The guards are probably gone now; we should focus on getting out of-"

Suddenly a light flashed a few yards away; she summoned Rainfell with one hand and blocked her blinded eyes with the other.

"Vanitas, get behind me!" She called, readying a barrier spell. If only the spots in her eyes would clear -

"Wait, Aqua! It's not him, it's just me!" A familiar voice called from the light. She blinked rapidly, willing her sight to adjust.

"Terra?" She grinned. The light from his keyblade cast sharp highlights across his face, but wasn't bright enough to illuminate much beyond that.

A weight lifted off her shoulders. He _was_ here, she'd been right - maybe the guards had even chased him here, too, considering what she'd seen at the top of the wall. Maybe after the trouble with Void, they were targeting anyone who looked like they didn't belong in this world. Whatever the reason, seeing Terra calmed her racing heart. She'd been so worried after finding out Master Xehanort was behind all this. Something could have happened to him, the way everything had happened to her…

"Whoa, Aqua, are you alright?" Terra stepped forward quickly, blinding her again as he moved. He'd never perfected the a hovering Fire spell the way she had. But at that moment she cared less about the fact that she couldn't see, and more about him noticing the tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm - I'm fine." She took a deep breath. Despite what had happened to her, she was still a Keyblade Master. She needed to stay strong and prove she deserved that title. "Listen, Terra, I found out-"

His eyes darted from her, picking up movement. She nearly jumped, but it was just the Flood, trying to dart off into the darkness. The light from Terra's blade flashed in a single arc as he struck it down.

Her mouth fell open as the wisp of blue smoke — all that was left of the Flood — floated towards the ceiling. She shouldn't be attached to it. For all she knew, it was still loyal to Void… but it had helped her escape. It had led her to Vanitas in the castle, and away from the guards, and to Terra just now. It was different from the other Unversed. It was…

"Aqua?" Terra asked, lowering Earthshaker. She took a step back. "Something's wrong. What happened? Why were the guards after you?"

Straight to the point, as always. She laughed a little, trying to stifle her unease at the Flood's passing. It wasn't like Terra knew the Flood had helped her. All he'd seen was a monster to be destroyed.

"It's a long story, but that's not important right now." Her face hardened. As much as she wanted to catch up, there was still the most pressing issue. "I learned where the Unversed are coming from."

"Me too," Terra said, surprising her. "I found Master Xehanort, and he told me—"

"Master Xehanort?" She cut him off, fear flooding her veins. "You found him?"

He tilted his head and grinned a little in spite of her tension. "What, you're that surprised? It was my job, and I did it. Just because you're the Keyblade Master doesn't mean you're the only one who can figure stuff out."

She caught the faint undertone of jealousy in his voice, something she could only recognize from years of living together. A frown tugged at her lips.

"This isn't about that, Terra. Master Xehanort is—"

She gasped as a wave of nausea rolled over her, threatening to send her to the ground. Terra caught her by the shoulder and steadied her.

"Aqua, you really don't look good. Maybe we should—"

But she barely heard him. She knew that nauseating feeling — a terrible darkness loomed near.

"Void," she whispered, her wide eyes meeting Terra's. "He's found me."

"Void? Who's—?"

A low voice called from the darkness, chilling Aqua's blood.

"I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"

XXX

Terra. It had had to be _Terra._ What had his Flood been thinking, bringing them here? Sure, he'd needed to find the idiot and taunt him into following him to Radiant Garden, but — not _here._ Not with Aqua. Not like this. His already fragile plans crumbled to ash the second Aqua had laid eyes on her friend. She'd forgotten Vanitas immediately; it had been easy to fade back into the darkness. Too easy. If Void had really been a separate person, "Vanitas" would have been picked off before she even noticed. All because she was focused on some idiot who didn't even appreciate her.

But that didn't matter. Soon Terra wouldn't be a problem for either of them. Vanitas just had to keep his head on straight.

Rather than rising to his taunt, Aqua summoned an orb of Fire that hovered over a table full of junk. The light spread farther than the bleach-scented gleam of Terra's blade. Far enough to illuminate the front of Vanitas's helmet — and enough for her to realize that someone was missing.

"Where's Vanitas?" She demanded, summoning her keyblade. He retreated a step back, where the darkness could more fully hide his trembling hands.

 _So_ now _you remember me. I'm flattered, really._

" _Vanitas?"_ Terra shouted, making him flinch back. Void, he _knew!_ Vanitas had forgotten Xehanort had told him; that secret was more dangerous than any spell Aqua could throw at him. "Aqua, _he's—"_

"Ready to put an end to this," Vanitas interrupted, his own keyblade materializing in his hand. Dark vapors trailed off of it, pushing back against her Fire's soft light.

 _An end. This is really it, isn't it?_ He couldn't let Aqua out of here alive. Master Xehanort would surely learn the truth then. It might already be too late, with Terra having seen her, but he still had to try.

His grip tightened on Void Gear as he stared at her, her lips parted, eyes gleaming in the light of her Fire, blue hair also catching its orange glow. The last good look he'd probably ever get of her. The thought constricted his chest, costing him precious seconds he could have used on a quick attack.

Terra didn't have the same hesitation. He braced a hand on a narrow table and vaulted over it, scattering junk to the ground as he did. A growl rose in his throat, but Vanitas backed into a portal before his blade could reach him.

"Get back here!" He snapped, head whipping from side to side, but Vanitas was already across the room. Directly behind Aqua.

"So you finally reunited with your idiot friend. Congratulations," he said in a near-whisper, closer than he should've dared. Her scent flooded the inside of his helmet. That, at least, he knew how to filter out by now. She swung Rainfell at him, but only collided with a box of potion bottles as he sprung back, vanishing again.

"It looks like I _did_ come at a bad time," he called from above — his portal had landed him in the maze of wooden rafters. Terra and Aqua looked in every direction before finally realizing he was somewhere overhead, but their fire and light couldn't reach him here. Aqua wouldn't risk sending a Fire too close and burning down the building… probably. The plan he was currently making up had far too many _probablys_ for his liking.

"You didn't even get the chance to talk to him yet, did you, _Aqua_?" He forced himself to snarl her name; it felt wrong on his tongue. That was the least of his worries, though. He couldn't take them both head-on; he wasn't _that_ stupid. His only shot would be to play off their weaknesses.

"What are you talking about?" She called back, raising Rainfell. Probably getting ready to use a shotlock, as soon as she could get a read on his location. Well, he wouldn't make it easy for her.

" _Terra,_ of course." He snorted in disdain as he crept among the rafters. The pair of keyblade wielders had retreated closer together and circled back-to-back in search of his voice. The effortless way they worked together brought an Archraven to boil near the surface of his skin, but he squashed it back down.

"You remember what I told you, right?" He continued to Aqua. "I'm not the only one with darkness here."

"Shut up!" Terra shouted. "I'm nothing like you!"

Of course he wasn't. He had friends who cared about him, a Master who cared about him, barely any problems beyond the tiniest sliver of darkness — nothing compared to Vanitas's own. But that wouldn't stop Vanitas from preying on his fear. He hummed in feigned nonchalance; the sound echoed eerily through the warehouse, as if the wood walls were taking up his song.

"Are you so sure about that? You heard the old man. You know what I am." It was a dangerous card to play, but if he could draw on his connection to Ven - the fact that they used to be the same person - Terra might lose some of his confidence. However, it had a different effect on Aqua.

"Xehanort toldyou about him?" Aqua spun to face Terra. "Do you know that they're—"

But Terra wasn't listening. He was busy snarling up at the shadows where he thought Vanitas was hiding.

"I know what you are. You're an abomination beyond hope of salvation."

Vanitas froze. Those words. He'd picked _those words._

An abomination beyond hope of salvation —

" _Do you think that means Void has some good inside him?"_

An abomination —

" _No. I don't."_

Beyond hope of salvation —

" _You - you_ freak _!"_

He dropped his keyblade, which dissolved in dark flame as he clenched his teeth and shoved his hands over his ears.

"I am _NOT!"_ He roared back, gripping the wooden beam so tightly that splinters stabbed through his suit. " _SHUT UP!"_

A Bruiser started to wisp from his back, stealing away the power he desperately needed for himself. But it didn't have time to fully form. Before he could berate himself for the stupidity of his outburst, a bolt of electricity slammed into his chest. Then another — and another —and _another —_

White overtook his vision. His leg scraped the rough wood as he toppled from the beam. A split second of gasping for breath, and then the remainder of it fled him as his body hit the floor.

"Nice shot, Aqua," Terra's voice filtered through the static in his ears.

 _Aqua. That was… that was…_ Of course it was her; Terra couldn't have pulled off a shotlock like that. She didn't know he was her friend - he _wasn't_ her friend. He knew that. Didn't he? She was just a diversion to him, and he was just an obligation to her.

So why did the fact that it was _her_ hurt as much as the electricity lingering on his skin?

"Is he…?" Her voice murmured. Was he imagining the regret in it? His brain was as fried as the rest of him. That was all. He'd never be having these thoughts otherwise.

"No, look. He's breathing."

Barely, and that only thanks to Xehanort's training. He'd survived worse, but he'd only keep surviving if he _moved,_ if he could get out of here — but even if he did Xehanort would just electrocute him again and again, or worse — there was nowhere he could go, nowhere as long as Aqua was alive —

Aqua. She'd done this to him. It was time to get over his foolish hesitation.

It was time to do what she'd been willing to do to him all along.

His eyes shot open — and were immediately blinded by the light of Terra's blade. But he didn't let it stop him. With every scrap of energy he had left, he sprung from the floor. Channeling dark energy into his fingers, he made a desperate grab for Aqua's neck.

Frozen in surprise, she didn't dodge fast enough. His hand connected, fingers wrapping around her throat. Darkness poured from his hand, through the neck of her shirt, into her skin.

A scream tore from her throat, more visceral and raw than anything he'd ever heard. If she'd had his powers, he could only imagine the Unversed that would have accompanied that scream. Could he really do this? Her voice was meant for singing, not screaming like this —

 _Shut up! It's her or me!_ He grit his teeth and forced himself to keep going — until a blunt force slammed him back to the ground.

"Stay away from her!"

 _Terra!_ Why couldn't _he_ be the one Xehanort wanted dead? Vanitas didn't know if he could take the bigger keyblade wielder down too. But he had to —he had to get out of here —

Another _thud —_ Aqua had collapsed beside him. She wasn't — he hadn't killed her, had he? She was stronger than that, she was — no, he _had_ to kill her! Why was his heart still begging him to check if she was alright?

He couldn't even do that much. Terra's keyblade slammed into the wood floor between them.

"What did you do to her!?" He demanded. The light wreathing his blade flickered fitfully, casting ghoulish shadows across his face. Aqua's Fire had gone out when she'd hit the ground, leaving Terra the only source of illumination.

But not for long, if Vanitas had anything to say about it.

"Same thing that's going to happen to you," he said, voice deadpan. He couldn't summon his usual snark, but at least his fear — for himself or for her? — didn't bleed through. "Her light's gone."

"You — you stole her light?" Shock flickered across his face before his teeth clenched in rage. "No! Aqua's light is stronger than that!"

"Maybe it is… maybe it isn't." He shrugged, wincing when his shoulders scraped the floor. "The real question is, how strong is _your_ light, _Terra?"_

The jab cut deeper than he'd expected. Dark lightning crackled across that bronze keyblade again, making Terra gasp and let go. With that contact broken, the light vanished entirely.

For the first time since entering the warehouse, a grin stretched Vanitas's lips. The darkness surrounded him like an old friend; he used its security to down a hi-potion he pulled from his belt. Energy trickled down his throat and into his battered limbs.

He could do this. With Aqua out of commission — not dead, he was sure, but he'd deal with that later — he had the chance to lure out Terra's darkness. If he could push Terra over the edge, maybe Xehanort would overlook his other mistakes. Maybe. It was better than running away empty-handed, at least.

Void Gear came to his palm in a burst of purple flame.

"Are you ready to see how strong your light really is?" He taunted as his eyes adjusted to the dark. Xehanort had trained him to fight in pitch blackness; he doubted Terra's master had done the same. "Or are you ready to give in to the dark yourself?"

"I'll never do that," Terra growled. Vanitas heard the soft _shink_ as he pulled his keyblade from the floor. "I may have darkness inside me, but I'm not like you. I'll never let my darkness hurt my friends."

A faint glint caught his eye — but there wasn't any light to reflect, was there? No, somehow there was — something glowing in Terra's open palm. Soft orange light surrounded it, then flooded over Terra's body. Some kind of command style? No, it smelled different than that.

"And they won't let it hurt me," Terra finished with a smile, and Vanitas finally recognized the scent: the cotton-sugar blend distinctive of a Princess of Heart. It made no sense, but his nose had never been wrong before.

"Cute light show." Vanitas drawled, hiding his sudden misgivings. "But let's see you prove it!"

XXX

Terra dodged back from Vanitas's onslaught, pressing himself against an old dresser. The masked boy was _fast —_ he definitely shared Ven's speed, but none of his mercy. His serrated blade slammed down directly where Terra's head had been, shattering the dresser into splinters that cut his cheek. He barely felt the pain; the glow surrounding him seemed to have the same healing effect Cinderella's care had. It made sense. Their D-Link had done more than just connect them — it pushed down his darkness, cleared his mind, steadied his heart. He wasn't alone. And so he could do this.

"Is that all you've got? You're just gonna glow and run away, huh?" Vanitas taunted, taking another quick jab at him. Terra batted that serrated blade away, knocking the masked boy back a few feet. He stumbled and steadied himself against a stack of boxes — he hadn't recovered as much as he wanted Terra to believe.

"I'm not running anywhere." He'd drawn Vanitas away from where Aqua lay unconscious, but now he stalked forward; his D-Link's glow reflected off the boy's mask. There was nothing he could do to help her until he eliminated the threat.

"And neither are you, Vanitas."

There was nowhere for the boy to run, no darkness for him to hide in. The boxes and tables barred him in on three sides, with Terra carefully approaching from the fourth. Vanitas might still have a trick up his sleeve — or in his suit — but Terra wouldn't fall for it. This boy had targeted Cinderella, and Aqua, and the rest of the worlds. He was pure darkness, unfit to exist. Beyond hope of salvation.

Rage boiled inside him, barely contained by the soothing effect of his D-Link. As much as he wanted to tear Vanitas apart, he needed to keep himself together. His darkness might not have hurt Cinderella before, but there was no telling what it would do if he let it loose again.

Darkness or no darkness though, Vanitas still needed to be destroyed. Terra raised his keyblade —

And the boy rolled out of the way, slipping under a table and disappearing into the depths of the warehouse again.

Terra shouted, punching a box with his free hand. His aura flickered briefly.

"Get back here, you freak!"

"Freak? _I'm_ the freak?" Vanitas laughed, a shrill, unhinged sound. Nothing like the taunting chuckle from before. "I might be made of darkness, but I'm not the one about to kill a piece of my friend!"

"You're nothing like Ven!" Terra snarled into the darkness. Stretching the limits of his tight pants, he leapt over the table, and his D-Link's glow illuminated the few feet of clear space behind it. No sign of Vanitas. Where was the little creep? He had no right to talk about him _or_ Ven.

"Nothing like — you idiot, I _am_ Ven!" The voice came from above. In the rafters again? That hadn't worked for him last time, and Terra would make sure it didn't again. "I'm more of _Ven_ than your loser friend is! He's nothing more than an empty shell without me!"

"Don't talk about my friend like that!" His anger was useless, but — but this freak _wasn't_ his friend. He just wanted an excuse to keep Terra from destroying him. Well, he'd fallen for a lot of things, but not this time. This time, he was going to set things right.

 _There._ A shadow of movement, at the top of a tall wardrobe — Vanitas's silhouette was slinking across it, then down a staircase of boxes to the ground, as silent as darkness itself. But that darkness wouldn't stand up to his light.

He whirled, shrouding himself in a magical barrier and surging at Vanitas. For once the boy wasn't fast enough; he went flying into a bookshelf at the impact.

"Nngh… when'd you have the time to learn that?" He muttered, but got back to his feet and resumed his stance, holding his keyblade high overhead.

Terra didn't bother answering the question, not that he even knew the answer. He'd never used that command before. The link must have borrowed some of Cinderella's power, even though she wasn't a keyblade wielder like Aqua or Ven.

But now wasn't the time to wonder about that. Instead he utilized another command the link gave him: Wish Shot. A glittering orb of magic spiraled out from his keyblade and took Vanitas in the chest. He gasped, staggering back and cringing around the blow.

"What, can't handle a little light?" Terra couldn't help taunting.

"Gah — shut up!" Vanitas shook himself and leapt forward, bringing his blade down hard. Terra barely blocked in time to keep his skull from being split.

 _Can't get cocky,_ he chided himself before retaliating with a spinning strike that charged his weapon with even more light. The unfamiliar command left him dizzy, though — these attacks Cinderella had unknowingly given him were too different from his usual fighting style. Vanitas jumped on the opening and shot a Dark Firaga at his leg. He slid away a split second before his pants would've gone up in flames. He could only imagine how Cinderella would've reacted to him coming back with her father's clothes in ashes.

"I thought you were supposed to be the slow one!" Vanitas snapped. "Stay _still!"_

"How about you stay away from my friends!" Terra came at him with his regular combo —better not to risk any more spinning mishaps. Vanitas blocked the first two strikes before taking the last on his keyblade arm.

"Gah… You and your _friends._ Which one are you talking about? Aqua? Ven? That princess you're sticking around for?" He leapt back, dodging another strike from Terra while he uncorked a potion with his teeth and downed it. "I bet you loved what my monsters did to her place. Much homier now, I think."

Fire burned in him at the memory. "You're sick, you know that?"

"Oh, I know. I've only been told that about a _million times,"_ Vanitas snarled, charging back into battle.

They exchanged blows, too quick for either of them to throw insults at each other. That was fine by Terra; he'd rather throw spells and strikes. The ragged sounds of their breathing and the sharp _clang_ of metal on metal grounded him. Just like sparring with Ven or Aqua — only this time, he'd have to go harder than he ever had before.

For Aqua. For Ven. For Cinderella. Vanitas _had_ to be destroyed.

His D-Link was wearing thin — the glow wouldn't last long now. And once it faded, he'd be in Vanitas's realm.

"Nngh… I see why Xehanort wants you now. You might be stupid, but you've got power, I'll give you that."

He grit his teeth, but didn't respond to the taunt. Vanitas had to be desperate to result to jabs like that — which meant he had to be close to going down. If Terra could just get in a few more good hits on him… but he wasn't making it easy. He twisted and dodged like the shadow he was. Meanwhile, Terra's glow dimmed to barely a glimmer.

"Heh. Looks like you're light's not gonna cut it after all."

Rage bubbled up — and with it, the darkness he'd been holding back. His D-Link burned out, Cinderella's light no longer protecting him. Her light. Not his — he'd never had enough — he'd never been worthy to be a master —

While Terra wavered, Vanitas struck. His blade ripped through Terra's suit, his shirt, his skin - he tried to cast Cure, but his own darkness choked out the green light. Pain lit every nerve on fire, but through it all, one thought remained:

He _couldn't_ let Vanitas win.

"And here I thought you were actually going to put up a—"

Terra's arm snapped out, his hand clutching Vanitas's throat. The same way the freak had grabbed Aqua before. Now that the tables were turned, he clawed at Terra's fingers, writhing as he lifted him off the ground. Darkness pumped through his veins, out his skin, into the abomination —

And then suddenly there was light. Terra flinched as it flooded the warehouse, pouring out from — from the door. His blood froze, but he didn't let go of Vanitas's neck. If he could just —

"Oh my — _Terra?"_

No — _no_ — not her, not _now,_ she couldn't see him like this—!

Silhouetted in the doorway, hands hovering over her mouth in shock, stood Cinderella.

 **A/N: Sorry for another cliffhanger right after that last one! The good news: I now officially know where the end of this story is going. The bad news: I probably won't update again until a while after KH3. But I'm sure you'll all be distracted enough by that that it won't be too much of a problem lol**


	13. Dividing

**A/N: IVE BEEN WANTING TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER FROM DAY 1 BABEY HERE WE GO**

 **(I recommend at least looking at the end of the previous chapter just to reorient yourself if you don't remember what was going on, Cinderella just popped in and this starts from her POV)**

What she was seeing didn't make any sense. She had to be dreaming — no, having a nightmare. Terra wouldn't — Terra _couldn't_ hurt someone like that. Yes, she'd seen him use that dark power to protect her outside the manor, but this… this wasn't protecting anyone. And he'd looked so — so _angry._ His face contorted in a terrifying snarl, the way her stepsisters had looked at her before tearing her dress from her body.

"Cinderella — it's not what it looks like—" Terra protested as his grip slackened. His grip on… on the boy's throat. At least, he was probably a boy; he looked smaller than Terra, even if the mask covering his face made it difficult to tell. Terra said he was only fighting monsters, how could he… why would he…

The boy slid to the ground, wheezing heavily. He lifted an arm weakly towards her.

" _Please… help me…"_

"Don't talk to her!" Terra snapped at the boy. Cinderella flinched and stepped back, clinging to the doorframe. Why had Terra's magic called her here? She'd come thinking he was in trouble, but this…

She swallowed, gathering her courage. She'd trusted Terra before; she wanted to be believe… believe what? That this really wasn't what it looked like?

"Terra, what's going on?" She asked boldly.

"This is Vanitas," he said, not meeting her eyes. His strange sword stayed pointed at the boy on the ground, who'd gone still save for his ragged breathing. He was dressed strangely, in some kind of… she didn't know what, but still, he looked so small lying there like that. When Terra had spoken of Vanitas before, she'd always assumed he was some sort of monster, like the ones who had attacked her stepmother's house. But even though she could sense a thick darkness emanating from him, his form looked very much human.

"What… were you going to do to him?" Her voice grew weak. There was a reason Terra was holding his sword like that, she knew. But if he was really a knight, shouldn't he be bringing the boy – Vanitas – to justice? He may be from a different world, but surely their laws couldn't be so… _brutal._ They couldn't have the right to just execute someone, even someone as wicked as Vanitas must be.

"I – I was – he _has_ to be destroyed, Cinderella," Terra said firmly, with a determination she normally have admired it. But not now. Not like this.

"Why? Can't we find a different way to stop him?" She whispered as tears stung her eyes.

"I can't risk letting him escape again," he answered, though his voice sounded less certain now. "If he tries to hurt you because I didn't stop him…"

"Look at him. You _have_ stopped him." She gestured to the boy, who slumped as if barely clinging to consciousness. There was no way he could defend himself if Terra decided to keep fighting.

"You don't have to do this, Terra. I – I believed in you. I _still_ believe in you."

She did. She _did._ He wouldn't do this. The sword must just be to keep him from trying to run; there was no way Terra could… he _wouldn't._

"Cinderella…" His eyes softened, faintly reflecting the afternoon light hazing through the open door. Still, his grip on his weapon didn't falter. "I don't want to do this either, but I _do_ have to. It's the only way to stop those monsters from attacking again. They come from him. He's not the helpless boy you're seeing now – he's an abomination."

Vanitas flinched at that, just visibly enough for Cinderella to notice.

"That's what you think, huh," he said softly, in a voice that certainly didn't sound like a monster's. "It doesn't matter. You've already–" he coughed violently, "–done enough. Congratulations."

Dark smoke began to wisp from him. Cinderella could feel it in the air – damp and sulfuric, like the mist that sometimes rose up from abandoned well behind the manor. She covered her face with her hand, afraid of breathing it in. Maybe Terra was right, maybe he was just a monster–

But in that moment, he turned his head towards her. The glass of his mask dissolved partially – just long enough for him to stare with pleading golden eyes.

"Thanks for trying," he whispered. Then she was left gaping as he disappeared into a pool of darkness.

For several long moments, neither she nor Terra spoke. They simply stood in shock while the darkness slowly evaporated away. Like it had never been there. Like the boy had never been there.

The boy. Not an abomination, a _child._ She'd seen his face, though from the angle Terra had been standing at, he couldn't have. At least, that's what she told herself as his mouth settled into a thin line.

"He's gone," he finally said, his eyes blank. Either he couldn't process what he'd done, or he didn't care. "It's over. He can't hurt anyone anymore."

"Terra – you…" The tears that had been brimming in her eyes finally trickled out. She hadn't known Vanitas. All she knew was that he had tried to hurt her and her friends. But he was a _person._ Surely he didn't deserve… deserve…

"Cinderella," Terra said, stepping around the crushed remains of a dresser to approach her. His eyes finally regained expression, concern. For her. "He was just trying to trick you. It was all an act, I'm sure of it."

She couldn't quite process his words; her mind was racing in fear. Should she run? She couldn't – she thought he'd been trying to help her; all this time, all the kind things he'd said, all the things he'd made her feel– but he was willing to do _this._ What if deep down he was just like her stepmother and stepsisters, only showing kindness on the outside, waiting until the right moment to reveal the darkness underneath?

What if she'd been wrong to believe?

"I just wanted to keep you safe," he said quietly. Pleadingly. He could see the tears in her eyes now; he reached out as if he could wipe them away, but she stepped back. "Please, you have to understand… I… I just wanted to do the right thing for once."

"And you thought _this_ was right?" She asked. "I – I need a moment, Terra."

"Cinderella, wait!" He called as she spun and rushed from the abandoned building. "Please!"

Her heart felt like it was cracking as she left him there. He'd done so much for her, made her feel like – like she _mattered,_ like she deserved something more than to be hated and abused. But how could she look at him the same way after this? How could she see her Terra, the first person she'd come to trust, come to – come to –

She came to a halt in the alley behind the tailors' guild.

"I love him," she whispered her realization aloud. She shut her eyes, squeezing the water out of them. "I loved him…"

She could only see it now, when her feelings had been flipped inside out. Was there any way she could trust him again, much less love him?

It couldn't be true. There had to be some explanation for what Terra had done. She still wanted to… she wanted to believe…

" _Actually, there is one thing. Just… believe in me."_

Had he known something like this would happen? Had he been afraid he'd make the wrong choice? He… he hadn't really _meant_ to – to kill Vanitas. He'd never dealt a finishing blow. But… he'd said it had to be done… _were_ there things like this that had to be done? He'd seen other worlds; he knew so much more than her, with her entire world wrapped in the Tremaine's Manor until mere days ago. What could she know about the way the world worked? How could she know Vanitas didn't have to die?

 _Even if he did… I didn't want to see Terra so… so angry._ That moment had terrified her more than anything.

But still… he deserved a chance to explain, didn't he? Once she cleared her head, she could go back and talk to him. But not yet. She just needed to breathe, and get that awful image out of her head, and the awful smell of sulfur out of her nose –

Wait. If Vanitas was gone, why did the smell linger in the air all the way out here?

A rustling sound came from the alleyway behind her. That was odd; there wasn't any grass to rustle there…

"Oh," she gasped, covering her mouth. "But – there aren't supposed to be monsters anymore! That was what Terra said…"

But there was one of the small blue creatures twitching in the middle of the road. And then another leapt out of the ground – and then another, and _another –_

Terra was wrong. Defeating Vanitas hadn't stopped them at all. And now he wasn't here to protect her.

She dashed down the open end of the alleyway, towards the guild. If only she had a sword like Terra's! She'd told him she didn't need him here all of the time, that she would have to take care of herself – and yet here she was, as helpless as they day they'd first met. Where was her fairy godmother now?

When she could no longer hear the monsters behind her, she risked a glance over her shoulder – while still running, of course. Just because she didn't hear them didn't mean they were gone.

But as it turned out, they _were_ gone. Had she outrun them? They were small, but she hadn't expected to lose them so quickly – still, there was no reason to stop here, where they could easily ambush her again. She needed to be out in the open, around people, or at least somewhere she could grab a sturdy broom handle to beat them off with.

"You run pretty fast, for a princess."

She spun at the low voice, and came face to face with –

"...Vanitas?" But that couldn't be right, he was – she'd seen him _disappear_! But now he was blocking the exit to the alleyway, standing as casually as if he'd been there all along. His strange helmet was completely intact too. Had she imagined the face she'd seen beneath it?

"The one and only. How kind of you to remember me." But that voice he was using didn't sound kind at all. There was a good reason Terra had been fighting him, as much as she'd hated to see so much violence. Cold settled in the pit of her stomach as she realized she wouldn't be able to outrun Vanitas as easily as those monsters.

 _There has to be a way out. I didn't escape Stepmother just to be attacked by someone like this!_

"I thought you were…" She began to stall for time. If she cried out for help, she was sure he wouldn't hesitate to attack, but maybe someone would hear them if she just spoke loud enough. Maybe Terra would hear. He'd always come when she needed it most… But she didn't have the special crystals to help call him this time.

"Dead? Nah, you made sure that wouldn't happen. For all Terra's talk, he never could've killed me in front of you. So that makes twice you've done me a favor."

"...Twice?" She asked, discreetly looking for something, anything she could use as a distraction. But the alleyway was empty, the walls of the surrounding buildings made of smooth-sanded stone. His monsters must have chased her here for that reason.

"That's right. You were too busy sobbing your eyes out the first time to notice." He snorted. "That's alright, though. I've still got one last favor I'm going to need from you."

"I won't help you," she said, clenching her fists. Not that it would help her; if he'd managed to survive fighting Terra, nothing she could do would matter.

"Tch. Like you've got a choice."

He snapped his fingers, and a giant monster rose to life between them. The bulky thing seized her around the middle before she could run.

"Let – go!" She shouted, trying to kick back at it. Its skin caved in, but bounced back as if she'd done nothing. "Terra!"

Vanitas laughed at that. "So you've forgiven that idiot already? Or are you just that desperate?"

"He's not an idiot!" She defended, not that it mattered. He was just toying with her now. Just like her stepsisters would, only this boy sounded smarter. And he was certainly more powerful.

She went still, succumbing to the large monster's grip. Wasting energy now wouldn't help; she'd need to look for an opening to escape. Vanitas couldn't take her far without someone noticing.

"Trust me. You don't know Terra half as well as I do," Vanitas said before waving his arm. Her eyes widened when an oval mass of darkness grew from his gesture.

"I know Terra better than you," she said as loudly as she dared. She didn't know what that darkness was for, but she didn't want to find out. Hopefully she could stall just a little longer. "He's strong, and kind, and he's always trying to do what's right."

His chuckle raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

"That's what I'm counting on."

Vanitas stepped aside, and the monster carried her towards the swirling mass of black. Panic surged up inside her; she had to get out, it couldn't end like this–!

" _Terra!"_ She cried one last time, reaching out to him with all her heart.

And then everything went black.

XXX

The warehouse was silent. Terra hardly dared to breathe as he stared out into the dying afternoon light.

 _Cinderella… please… I'm so sorry…_

He crouched on the ground, dropping his head into his hands. After everything he'd tried to set right, everything he thought he'd learned, he'd done it again. Aurora, Snow White, and now Cinderella. He couldn't be trusted so close to their light.

 _Vanitas was right,_ he thought as water leaked through the gaps in his fingers. _I'm just as much a monster as he was._

He'd been stupid to think he could use darkness to protect the light. He should've listened to the Master; he _knew_ better. He'd just wanted to believe that for once he could do something right.

Master Xehanort had told him that destroying Vanitas would set things right. So why did he feel so awful?

"Is it because I tried to fight darkness with darkness?" He whispered, dropping his hands to the ground. The dirt clung to his tear-soaked fingers.

"I let my anger take over…"

He didn't just fight Vanitas to protect Cinderella. He'd done it to save himself — to prove his light was strong enough.

"Stupid." He shook his head in disgust. "Stupid, stupid, _stupid!"_

He punched the ground, wincing as it scraped his knuckles. The brief flash of pain cleared his head slightly. He shouldn't be sitting here wallowing in self-pity. What was done was done. He couldn't change that.

"At least she'll be safe now. She doesn't need me here anymore."

 _But I still need her,_ his heart protested. He shoved the feeling down and stood, turning his back to the doorway. Right now if anyone needed him, it was Aqua.

He illuminated his blade and wove his way through the warehouse's old furniture… or what was left of it. His fight with Vanitas had left a trail of shattered wood and debris. Guilt for that would've pulled at him if he weren't already so numb.

The path of destruction led him back to Aqua's unconscious form. His rage still burned at Vanitas for doing this to her. Surely anyone who could hurt Aqua so badly deserved to be destroyed. Right? So why had Cinderella defended him? Why did everything have to be so confusing?

He knelt down at her side and rested his hand on her shoulder. Her skin was so cold, she could he be too late—? No, her chest rose and fell slowly.

"Heal," he whispered, letting the soothing green glow pass from his hand into her skin. His Cure spell was weak, but it was enough to shock Aqua's eyes open.

"Void!" She bolted upright. She probably would have leapt to her feet if Terra hadn't held on to her shoulder.

"Whoa, Aqua! It's alright, you just got knocked out for a while. Take it easy."

"Nngh…" She gripped her head and leaned forward, resting against his arm. If she was willing to accept his help like that, she must be in really bad shape. "I wasn't just knocked out. He did it again."

"Did what – _again?"_ His eyes widened. "You've fought him before?"

She nodded weakly while massaging her temples. It made sense; he should've guessed from the way Vanitas had taunted them. Something about the way he'd spoken had sounded personal.

"Yes. Well… not exactly. It's complicated, but he _has_ stolen my light before."

"That's what he said," Terra remembered. "But how can someone steal light? I mean, without–" He winced. _Without stealing their heart._ Whatever evil he'd done, Vanitas still hadn't stolen Aqua's heart, not the way Terra had stolen Aurora's.

"I don't know exactly how he does it," Aqua said, not seeming to think anything of his abrupt pause. "I tried to replicate it once, but I think I… messed up. There were some side effects… anyway, it's not good. How long have I been out? Is he…?"

"He's gone," Terra said, unsure what to make of the rest of… that. She'd done what? Tried to steal light too? That didn't make any sense, unless she meant she tried to take it back from Vanitas after he stole it in the first place. That had to be it.

"Gone?" She moved to stand again, but didn't make it before falling back again. Her curse startled Terra; she must be doing even worse than he'd thought. "He escaped?"

"No," he corrected quickly. "He's _gone._ I… put an end to him."

He looked away, preparing himself for the same kind of reaction Cinderella had given him. Aqua was a Master; she wouldn't have let the darkness in. She would've been smart enough to bring Vanitas back to Master Eraqus, or find some other way to stop him. She would have–

"Really?" She asked, snapping him out of it. Her face glowed in the light of his blade, but her expression was hopeful rather than accusing. "Is he… really gone? For good?"

"He faded away into the darkness," he spilled out. "I didn't mean to kill him, Aqua. I was angry, and afraid and I didn't hold back the darkness – I should have–"

"What are you talking about?" She interrupted. "Terra, you did the right thing. Void _had_ to be destroyed."

A tiny bit of tension loosened in his chest, but still… He couldn't escape the look on Cinderella's face. How could it have been right, if it had made her look at him like that?

Then he finally processed what she'd said.

"Void?" His eyebrows drew together. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh. I suppose he wouldn't have told you. That's the boy in the mask's name. Fitting, I think."

"Uh, Aqua? I don't know what he told you, but that's not his name."

Terra scooted closer to her and stabbed his glowing keyblade into the ground. They had a lot to catch up on, and it didn't seem like she'd be ready to move for a while.

"What? How would you know his name?"

"Master Xehanort told me," he began, only for Aqua to cut him off with a shocked outburst.

"And you trust _him?"_

"What? Aqua, what's gotten into you?" Had Vanitas's spell done more to her than he'd realized? She seemed to be recovering, but some of the things she said worried him. Void? And stealing light? Not quite fighting him?

Aqua grabbed his arm abruptly, her eyes flashing in his keyblade's harsh light.

"Terra – Void is _working_ for Xehanort."

" _What?"_ He shook off her grip. "No, that – that can't be right! Xehanort is the one who told me to destroy him!"

"He – _what?"_ Aqua rubbed her head with a groan. "None of this makes any sense!"

"Aqua, how did you even get that idea?" Terra asked – demanded, really. He didn't mean for it to come out so abrasive.

"Void let it slip when we were talking. The way he said it, I was so sure… unless even _that_ was one of his mind games…"

"You were _talking_ with him?"

"Not like _that!"_ Aqua snapped back with one of those glares that always made him feel like he'd done something morally reprehensible. Which, possibly, he had… but he couldn't let himself think about that now.

"He'd kidnapped me! There wasn't anything else I could do!"

"Hang on, you were _kidnapped?"_ He burst. _"_ Why didn't you tell me!?"

She flinched back before straightening up again, with the stiff posture she took when defending herself.

"It didn't come up."

"You could have _made_ it come up!"

"I had to tell you about Xehanort first! And it doesn't matter, I'm — I'm fine. I handled it. I escaped."

Of course she did. She was Aqua, the Keyblade Master — no, Aqua, the girl who was strong, and determined, and capable even before she'd earned that title. He hadn't even considered that she could be in trouble. All this time, he'd been worried about protecting Cinderella, when Aqua had apparently been Vanitas's real target.

"...I'm glad you're alright," he said quietly. "And I'm sorry. I should have…"

"You couldn't have known." Her voice grew softer too. "I'm sorry for shouting. I'm just so confused… I thought I had this figured out, but now I'm not so sure."

"To be honest, I feel the same way." He shook his head. "Xehanort told me I had to destroy Vanitas, but now that I have, I feel…" He sighed. "It's all wrong. Cinderella saw me, and she..."

He dropped his head into his hands. "How could you understand? You've never disappointed anyone, and I can't seem to stop."

She didn't reply. He knew he'd messed up, but Aqua… she would still be there for him, right? She'd always been there for him, no matter how many times they argued or fought. Becoming a Keyblade Master wouldn't change that… he hoped. Besides, she'd said he'd done the right thing, even if she didn't know he'd used darkness. So why was she silent?

"You. Destroyed… _who?"_

He looked up, but was unprepared for the trembling lips and watery-eyed stare that faced him.

"You. Destroyed. _Who."_

"V-Vanitas," he repeated. "But I don't understand. You said—"

A soft sob escaped her lips. "You— you—"

Aqua didn't cry. Not in front of him, at least. Sometimes she'd allow him to bring her ice cream, but when it came to comfort, Ven was the one she turned to. Their friend's sense of humor could usually snap her out of it. But Ven wasn't here now, and Terra — he didn't even know what was wrong.

"I said I was going to save him," Aqua choked out through her tears. "It's all my fault he ended up here, he never should have— he never should have danced with me, and none of this would've happened."

"You _danced_ with him?" He shouldn't shout, he knew he shouldn't, but — light, she wasn't making any sense! Vanitas must have brainwashed her somehow while she'd been kidnapped. That was the only explanation.

" _That's_ what you're focusing on here?" She clenched her fists and shouted. "You _killed_ him! I stood up for you, I told the Master you wouldn't give into the darkness and you — you did _this!"_

She slammed a fist into his chest. She was still weak, so only half the wind was knocked out of him, rather than all of it. By the punch, at least. Her words still finished the job.

"He was just a boy," she whispered. "He didn't deserve any of this, he — he _can't_ be gone! Not when I—"

"Aqua," he pleaded. "You're not thinking straight. Vanitas, he must have put some kind of spell on you while you were kidnapped—"

" _You're_ the one who's not thinking straight if you think I'd _ever_ be okay with what you did!"

Stumbling and nearly knocking over Earthshaker, she finally got to her feet. He was too stunned to speak as she glared down at him.

"The darkness _has_ taken you."

If his heart hadn't already shattered when Cinderella had left, it did now. She fled the warehouse, leaving him shaking in the flickering light of his keyblade.

"Aqua…" He squeezed his eyes shut. She didn't know what she was saying. Whatever had happened to her, it had to have left her mind distorted if she'd voluntarily spend time with the monster. Still, that didn't soothe the sting of her words.

But something still didn't add up: she'd fought Vanitas without complaint. She'd even told him he'd done the right thing by killing "Void." The only time she'd shown any kind of sympathy for him was when… was when…

"I called him Vanitas," he realized. "She was calling him Void. She didn't realize… oh light."

It still didn't make sense. How could Vanitas have convinced her he was Void? And who did she think "Vanitas" was?

She'd said he was working for Xehanort. That had to be a lie; it made more sense that Vanitas had said Xehanort created him, which was technically true. But that still didn't explain how she would have danced with someone named Vanitas. Unless there was _another_ boy named Vanitas in this world, but that didn't sound likely.

Either way… there was nothing he could do. Aqua didn't want to speak to him. Cinderella didn't want to speak to him. He wasn't sure which loss hurt more.

He shook off the thought. It didn't matter anyway; he would be leaving both of them. Ven, too, he realized with a sinking heart. He could never tell Ven after the girls' reactions. Especially considering Vanitas had once been a part of him, there was no telling how he might feel.

"Then… there's only one place left to go."

He stood, drawing Earthshaker and letting its light extinguish.

It was time to go back to Master Xehanort.

XXX

Vanitas crept out of the rafters and onto the neighboring rooftops, tailing Aqua at a safe distance. It had been a quick turnaround to come back after dropping off Cinderella at the Keyblade Graveyard. Probably too quick, considering the damage he'd taken. If he had his way he'd be taking a nice long nap right now. But he'd had to see if Aqua was alright.

 _No, not see if she's alright. Put an end to her. Just like she wanted to do to me._

She wouldn't work as a backup plan anymore. He'd realized it from the moment he drained her light in the warehouse, and honestly, he should have realized it before. She didn't have enough light if she couldn't handle an attack like that. He needed a pure heart – one like the princesses, or his other half. Anything less wouldn't survive long enough for them to merge.

 _There's no reason to keep her around._

 _So why do I still wish I could…?_

He nearly missed the leap to the next rooftop. Definitely because of exhaustion after that battle, and not because of the distracting thoughts.

He couldn't keep Aqua. There was no point in dreaming about it anymore, especially not when it had nearly gotten him killed. Still might, depending on what Terra let slip to Xehanort. How could he have ever believed this plan would work? None of this would've happened if he hadn't been so… so…

 _Stupid?_ But could he really call it stupid when it had also been the only time he'd ever felt human? The way Aqua had treated "Vanitas"... for once, he hadn't been just an abomination.

 _Stop that,_ he told himself as her reaction to Terra's words flashed through his head again. Her tears. Her rage. Her desire to save him—

 _I said stop!_ At this rate, he'd end up leaking out Unversed before Terra left this world.

 _Aqua doesn't care about you. She cares about someone who doesn't really exist. So get over yourself and get back to work._

He skidded down the rough shingles onto a narrow balcony. His boots scraped against the wooden tiles louder than he would've liked, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Stupid. It was almost like he _wanted_ her to hear him.

Not that she would. She was barely paying enough attention to avoid the other people in her way. From above, he could tell that her reckless path was leading her right into a dead end. She was making his job too easy.

It _should_ beeasy _._ She wanted him dead; she hadn't mourned "Void" at all. And Void was who he was — the monster, the abomination Terra saw. Not the boy that princess had seen for half a second, and definitely not the friend that Aqua thought "Vanitas" was.

He crouched behind the balcony railing and clenched his fists. His eyes closed, shutting out the warm evening light.

 _I'm an abomination beyond hope of salvation,_ he repeated those barbed words. _Aqua will never see me any differently. This will be easier if I just accept that._

He steeled himself and swung off the balcony, landing hard on the ground below with a pained grunt. He rubbed his knee as he straightened back up.

 _Maybe I should wait,_ he thought, scratching at where phantom fingers still squeezed around his neck. _No, no, this is the only time she'll be weak too._ He'd watched her stumble her way through the streets; she hadn't recovered much more than he had. Probably less, honestly. Her scream echoed through his mind again...

He kept to the shadows as he followed Aqua's path. There was only one way the alley twisted from here, so she couldn't have gone far.

 _There._ He peeked out from behind a corner, just enough to see her sitting on the ground between some abandoned crates. Her knees were gathered against her chest, and her head hung low. Her shoulders shook like… like she was crying…

He pressed himself back against the wall, breathing harder than he should have needed to. Why was his heart beating so fast? It didn't matter if she was crying. That just meant she wouldn't see his attack coming.

 _Just do it already!_ If he hesitated, he'd end up doing something stupid. Again. Like when he'd tried to pretend Aqua could possibly care about him.

 _I'm a monster. A freak. I should do what monsters and freaks do._

He cupped his hand to his chest, charging a Dark Thundaga in his palm. Thunder. Just like the shotlock she'd struck him with. It would be a fitting end.

After two deep breaths, he risked looking around the corner to take aim. But when he did, the electricity fizzled out between his fingers.

Held tenderly in her hands was Vanitas's letter. He didn't have to be able to read it to know; he could recognize his wobbling handwriting even from here. He'd spent enough time rewriting that letter to etch it in his memory.

"Vanitas… I'm so sorry," she whispered as tears dripped onto the wrinkled paper. Her lips moved as if to say something else, but he couldn't make it out before it dissolved into soft crying.

A small Flood wisped out of his chest, taking with it an emotion he couldn't quite describe. The monster stared up at him with accusing red eyes.

"I know," he muttered, clenching his fist in front of him. "I'm being stupid again. She _has_ to die, or else Xehanort will make sure I do."

The Flood shook its head.

"What? You think I'm special enough Xehanort will spare me?" He laughed bitterly, then dropped his voice. Aqua might be preoccupied, but there was no guarantee she wouldn't hear him anyway. "He's already made it clear what he thinks of me. He could always pick one of his other backup plans to start the X-Blade War. He'll have all the time in the world after he gets his hands on Terra."

Still the Flood shook its head, more frustratedly this time.

 _That's not what I meant,_ it seemed to be saying. _I meant you're not being stupid._

" _You're_ being stupid then," he snapped at it. "You're a part of me, you're just telling me what I want to hear."

The Flood threw up its arms in exasperation. Vanitas was sure he only imagined its words, but even if it was just his mind arguing with himself, it was troubling. Wanting to help Aqua was stupid. Wanting to go to her, to tell her that he was still alive, to hold her in his arms again—

He turned and slammed his fists against the stone wall. It took all of his energy not to scream along with it. After everything Aqua had put him through, he still couldn't kill her! Why? She was just sitting there, weak and helpless, and he— all he could think was—

 _She cared about me when no one else did._ Even if it was based on a lie, he couldn't… he couldn't destroy the only person in the worlds who had ever shown him kindness. The only person he'd ever cared about in return.

 _It's really over then,_ he thought as water leaked down his face and pooled in the bottom of his helmet. _She'll never forgive me once she learns the truth. And Xehanort will probably kill me before she gets the chance._

 _Wait._

 _Unless…_

 _I make it so Xehanort_ can't _kill me._

There was still a chance he could forge the X-Blade _first._ His mind had been so wrapped up in his plans with Aqua and Terra and Cinderella that he'd almost forgotten the most important prize: Ventus. His other half. His key to escaping Xehanort. The only way he could get back the light that had once been his own… and the only way that Aqua might be able to see him as something more than a monster.

"One last chance," he whispered. It was a gamble, but not much more of one than everything he'd already done. He just hoped Ventus was ready.

He let down the walls around his heart and followed the painful flood of light that entered. Ventus was close. How they'd failed to run into each other so far was beyond him, as well as why their connection still felt weaker than it should. He'd find out soon enough, though. His determination sent a new wave of energy through him, which he amplified by gulping down his last hi-potion – he'd need his full strength for the fight to come.

 _One last chance_. He'd show them.

This abomination _would_ receive salvation.

XXX

 _Also, you can quit apologizing. I would have danced with you anyway. I'm way more selfish than you are._

 _I'm doing fine for now. Bored as Hades, but fine. Void better be treating you okay. I know you said not to fight him, but if he hurts you, I'll kill him. Keyblade or no keyblade._

 _And what makes you think_ _you'll_ _be the one to get_ _me_ _out of here? Maybe I'll surprise both of you key masters and be the hero. In the meantime, don't do anything stupid._

 _\- Vanitas_

 _P.S. You said I was handsome. Is that enough proof for you?_

The words had barely been legible to begin with, and the tears clouding Aqua's eyes didn't help. Neither did the fact that the ink ran when the wet drops inevitably dripped from her chin to the paper before she could dry them. But it didn't matter. By now, Vanitas's letter was written in her heart.

 _Don't do anything stupid._ She'd done the stupidest thing possible — challenged Void, and left Vanitas unprotected. She still didn't know where he'd gone, or how Terra had found him, or why… why…

It hurt too badly to even think the words. Terra couldn't have done that. He was her best friend, no, he was practically family. Even though she'd known he had a problem with darkness, she'd never even thought…

But Void had warned her. She'd thought he was just trying to get under her skin, but now… Had he somehow known Terra would do this? What had Void seen in the week that she had been trapped in the castle? If she had escaped sooner… if she had been able to talk to Terra beforehand, explain that it was Void's fault that Vanitas had darkness, maybe Vanitas wouldn't be...

"He can't be gone," she whispered. "He _can't_."

He had no family to mourn him. From the way he talked, no one would miss him… except her. And there were so many things he'd never get to do – his eyes would never again light up at the stars, as if seeing them for the first time. He'd never get to learn how to dance for real, not just the swaying back and forth they'd done at the ball. He'd never regain his light. He'd never hold her, with powerful arms she hadn't expected below his dirty stolen suit.

And as selfish as it was, she would never know how her heart really felt about him…

She held the letter close as she tried to stop the tears. But couldn't she let herself cry, just this once? Terra had destroyed Void too; she wasn't in any danger now.

Vanitas deserved to be mourned by the only person left to remember him. She could let her pain show for these few solitary moments.

With her eyes shut and leaking water, she didn't see the small creature approaching her until it cautiously tapped her knee.

Immediately she leapt to her feet; the letter fluttered to the ground as she summoned Rainfell. When she registered what the creature was though, she stared in shock, unsure if she should attack.

The small Flood picked up the letter and held it up to her. _The_ Flood – she was sure this was the same one that had helped her escape Void. No other Unversed made facial expressions the way this one did, with its red eyes curving downward sadly.

"But Terra destroyed you," Aqua breathed, even as she carefully reached out and took the letter back. "I saw it, he– oh light. If you're here, then– Void must have survived too!"

Her eyes darted around the alleyway, but there was no sign of the leader of the monsters. She even crept around the corner in case he was hiding there. Nothing.

The Flood tugged at her skirt-wrap.

"What's wrong?" She folded the letter back into her pocket and asked.

For some reason, the Flood pointed at her face. She brushed her cheek with her fingertips, feeling the saltwater beginning to crust there.

"I was just crying," she answered when its head tilted in concern. "My friend is… my friend is gone."

Her throat tightened; she didn't dare try to explain anything more. Not that the Flood should be able to understand– or care, for that matter. It was nothing more than a fledgeling emotion… one of _Void's_ emotions.

Which was why it made no sense when the Flood stretched up for her hand, tugged her closer to its level, and began to rub the tears from her face. She was so startled that for a few moments she just stared at it, wondering how a creature built to destroy could be so gentle.

"It's okay," she finally said with a sad smile. "I mean… I'm not okay. But it's okay to cry for the people you care about."

The Flood shook its head rapidly.

"Yes it is," she insisted. "Please, just… leave me alone. Let me have this. I can't do anything else for him."

Another violent shake of its head. Then it stared directly into her eyes, as if it could speak to her through its gaze. She didn't know what it wanted to say, though.

"Unless… you're trying to tell me I _can_ do something for him? Light, is he– is he alive!?"

Her keyblade vanished at the realization. It was barely a thread of hope, but if Void had survived, and this Flood had survived – why couldn't Terra have been wrong about Vanitas too? She hadn't seen what had happened, and she hadn't stayed long enough to ask Terra. Maybe, maybe there was something she'd missed.

Her heart soared when the Flood nodded and jumped in excitement.

"Vanitas is alive!" She lifted the Flood beneath its arms and hugged it close. It nuzzled under her chin happily, wiping away her last fears that this could be a trap. No monster of Void's making should be able to show affection like that. This Unversed was special, and right now it was the only lead she had.

She would believe. Light, she _wanted_ to believe.

"Can you tell me where to find him?" She asked while holding it back out at arms' length. It nodded quickly, then squirmed to be put down. To her surprise though it didn't run off; it only pointed to her hand until she realized it wanted her to summon her keyblade.

"Okay… did Void take him to another world?" She frowned in confusion. If Void hadn't taken him away before, she didn't know why he would now. The thought worried her, though. They really could be anywhere.

The Flood made some gestures that were completely incomprehensible. She didn't understand; it had been a simple yes or no question, and normally the creature could answer those just fine.

"...Well, let's just take the glider and you can point me where to go from there, alright? Whether it's in this world or not." Maybe it was too soon to be traveling, after what she'd been through today, but she couldn't leave him alone. Not again. She'd have time to charge up a few Cures on the flight, anyway. Even if she didn't, by the time she found Void, her anger would be hot enough to take him out no matter what.

The Unversed nodded enthusiastically at her. She tossed Rainfell down the alley and hopped on when it came flying back over the wall behind her. The Flood joined her, leaping to grab onto her footrest and scrambling up from there.

"Hold on tight." She scooped it up to sit between her chest and the handlebars, where it settled in comfortably before pointing towards the sky.

"Different world it is." Her eyes narrowed as she sped over the city and into the last rays of the sunset.

 _You don't have to be the hero, Vanitas. I'm coming._

 **A/N: HERE WE GO HERE WE GO**

 **Guys I'm just so hype to write the rest of this fic, here's to hoping I don't drop it for another 3 months again rip**


	14. Remembering

**A/N: *arrives four months late with starbucks* is it too late to apologize**

"Bring it!" Ven taunted, unleashing a flurry of strikes at his opponent. Energy flooded through him. He was still small, but he'd been training harder than ever to make up for it.

The Flood disintegrated in front of him. He wasn't sure how the Unversed had gotten so tiny, or why they'd shown up in Cinderella's room at the inn, but he _was_ sure he could handle them. He wouldn't let Terra down.

 _Where is Terra?_ He wondered while slicing at a Shoegazer, which crouched into its protective boot at the last moment. No use waiting on it; he rushed across the dresser at a flock of Blue Sea Salts. _He and Cinderella should be back by now…_

They would be okay, though. Ven had seen Terra fight off all those Unversed at Cinderella's house; nothing bad could happen while he was there. Vanitas had been wrong. Terra was stronger than he thought.

 _And so am I,_ he grinned while launching Fire at the pot-shaped Unversed. They exploded into puffs of dark snow.

Heavy boot steps crunched behind him, and he spun to take out the Shoegazer he'd left behind. As he did, he saw Gus peeking out of a crack in the wall behind the dresser.

"Get back, Gus! It's not safe out here!"

Gus flinched back when Ven's keyblade stabbed through the Shoegazer and sent it evaporating towards the ceiling. "Uh, uh… bu-but—"

"Ven!" Jaq pushed Gus aside, running out onto the dresser and nearly crashing into a Red Hot Chili. Ven blew the Unversed away with a quick Aero. "Gotta flurry, gotta flurry! We saw—"

Jaq's eyes went wide at a sudden noise—Ven looked over his shoulder and saw it. A dark portal, like the one Vanitas had disappeared through in his room.

This portal was _big._ Human-sized. Ven's confidence drained out through his feet.

"Run!" He told Jaq and Gus, dragging the mouse towards the crack in the wall. Of course he wanted to stop Vanitas as much as Terra did, but now—why did he have to be so _small?_ He didn't stand a chance like this!

"Going somewhere?" Vanitas's voice filtered through the portal before the rest of him appeared. He didn't have to rush, though; the mouse-sized Unversed were already barring Ven's way.

"Back off!" He shouted, throwing a Strike Raid ahead as he ran. A couple of the Unversed disintegrated.

It wasn't enough. For once, he was too slow.

Vanitas snorted as he lifted Ven by the back of his jacket with two fingers. Jaq tried to hold on to him, but a quick flick of Vanitas's wrist sent the mouse falling back to the dresser.

"Ven-Ven!" Jaq called. "Don't worry, we help you!"

"Now _that's_ new," Vanitas muttered before holding Ven up at eye level. Or at least, where he assumed his eyes were, if he could see them through the dark mask.

"Nngh—let— _go!"_ He squirmed against the grip, trying to swing his keyblade high enough to reach the masked boy's fingers. This wasn't _fair!_ Tears stung his eyes in spite of himself. He _knew_ he should've left this stupid world where he was so tiny and _useless,_ and now Terra wasn't even here to help him—

"I've got a better idea. You're going to help me for once in your pathetic life, _Ventus."_

"No!" He tried to slice at Vanitas's hand again. Useless. The boy just laughed, a sharp, hysterical sound.

"You're almost cute this way. That's probably why Terra and Aqua keep you around, huh? It can't be because you're useful." A thought seemed to occur to him, with the way his eyebrows twitched. "You'd better be useful to me, though. If you're not strong enough…"

Ventus could practically _feel_ the glare through the helmet. He definitely felt something, anyway. It made him want to throw up. Or maybe that was just the collar of his shirt digging into his throat.

"I'm plenty strong enough!" He bluffed for time, squirming to take the pressure off his neck. "If I was your size, I'd kick your butt into next week!"

Vanitas laughed again, sounding even more unhinged than before. Ven was just poking a hornet's nest. What did the masked boy want with him, anyway? Wasn't he out for Terra, or the Princesses?

"That's what I'm hoping," he replied seriously.

And then before Ven could puzzle out what that meant, Vanitas was carrying him through the swirling violet portal.

XXX

Ventus was tiny. _Tiny!_ Suddenly it all made sense—well, sort of. He now understood why he hadn't been able to feel his other half correctly, even though they'd been in the same world. He couldn't say he had any idea how it had happened, though. Not that the _how_ mattered; he just needed him _fixed._ He couldn't merge with someone the size of a mouse.

His free fist clenched and relaxed over and over as he carried Ventus through the dark corridor. He didn't come this far just to give up now. As much as he hated it, he _needed_ Ventus. He needed his light, he needed the X-Blade, he needed to hurry before Xehanort found out what he was doing, before he found Cinderella where Vanitas had left her in the Graveyard—

"Stop that," he snapped down at Ventus, who kept squirming in his fist. Even as small as he was, his glare still freaked Vanitas out. Not that he would show it. It was just uncanny, seeing his old face like that. It wasn't often he got to look at Ventus up close.

"I should be big again," Ventus said, ignoring him. "We're not in the Castle of Dreams. Why am I still so _small?"_

"Void if I know," Vanitas grumbled back. Two steps in, and this plan was already falling apart. Ventus didn't even seem that scared, despite his tiny size. Maybe he'd realized he was too important to kill right now. A growl rumbled in his chest, along with a couple of Bruisers.

"What do you want with me, anyway?" Ventus finally asked as Vanitas quickened his pace. The corridors were faster than keyblade gliders, but there was still some space to walk through before he could exit in the Graveyard.

"I want you to shut up."

"What, am I getting on your nerves?" Ventus grinned maliciously. Vanitas hadn't thought him capable of that expression. "Is it 'cause you were wrong? Terra isn't a different person. He's gonna come beat you up even if I can't."

Vanitas laughed sharply. " _That's_ what you think? You really are an idiot."

" _You're_ an idiot if you think Terra will let you get away with this."

"Terra's going to be too steeped in darkness to do anything about it," he finally snapped. "Especially once he realizes his Princess is gone."

"Cinderella?" He squirmed again, as if escaping here would even help him. He was so tiny, Vanitas would be able to snatch him back up before he got close to either exit of the dark corridor. "What did you do to her!?"

"Nothing. Yet." He smirked beneath his mask. Ventus was silent for a charged moment.

"Terra's _really_ going to kill you. If I don't do it first."

Vanitas snorted. "Oh, grow u–"

He didn't get to finish, because that was when Ventus _literally_ grew. So quickly he hardly realized what was happening, his other half reverted to his original size, nearly falling on top of Vanitas in the process.

"Agh–!" He scrambled out of the way, shaking out his fist. Well, that was one problem solved, at least. Maybe. Ventus was springing up from the misty ground already, summoning his keyblade, fixing Vanitas with a fierce glare.

"Alright, you still want that fight now?" He taunted.

Vanitas itched to summon Void Gear. It wasn't a half-bad idea. But the Keyblade Graveyard was the only place the X-Blade had been forged in legend. He might be desperate, but he couldn't rush this, not when it risked ruining everything at the last second.

"More than you know," he muttered, but didn't call his own weapon.

"What was that? You scared now?"

Vanitas bit down a growl. At this rate, Ventus would annoy him so much that his Unversed would come bursting out and—actually, that wasn't a bad idea. He smirked.

"I'll show you what it's like to be scared."

He spread his arms and released the emotions that he'd held to so tightly. Floods, Scrappers, Bruisers—the rawest forms of annoyance, desperation, fear—

Longing. There were a disproportionate amount of the shivering Scrappers that held that emotion. Whatever, they would serve him as well as the others.

Shock passed over Ventus's face before the Unversed surrounded him, meshing their amorphous bodies around him in a horrifying cage. He could've summoned a Cursed Coach the way he had for Cinderella, but Ventus didn't deserve the relative comfort. Besides, his head felt clearer with all those emotions on the outside rather than in.

Ventus struggled and screamed, but corridor of darkness seemed to swallow the sound.

"You're wasting your energy. No one can hear you," Vanitas said, gesturing for the blob of Unversed to follow him. A tangled mass of mismatched legs somehow supported both Ventus and the Unversed's weight.

" _You_ can hear me," Ventus pointed out.

Vanitas snorted. His old voice was already getting tiring on his ears.

"No one who _cares_ can hear you," he corrected. Ventus still kept struggling, snarling at his Unversed captors. With that expression, he almost looked like Vanitas.

"Why are you doing this?" He burst when they were steps away from the end of the corridor. "What's your _problem_?"

"What's my problem? What's _my_ problem?" He finally spun and spat back. "You don't get to ask that, _Ventus!"_

His _problem_ was staring back with wide eyes, blinking in the corridor's dim light. For all of his earlier taunting, he finally seemed to realize how deep in trouble he was. Good. This wasn't some silly adventure with dwarves or fairies or sickeningly-cute mice. Ventus _should_ fear him.

Before Vanitas could end his other half right there, he dragged him out of the corridor.

XXX

 _No, no, no…_

Hot tears sprang up in Cinderella's eyes once Vanitas left her alone in the belly of his monster, a monster that was a cruel parody of the carriage her Fairy Godmother had created for her. She curled up in the center of it, staring out through the jagged shape of its mouth. Her tears blurred the sight of the rugged landscape outside of her cage.

"This… this can't be happening…"

But it was. Terra was gone. Even her mice friends were far away, still at the inn where she'd left them. No one could hear her cries for help—unless she counted the monster she was trapped in, which bounced fitfully at each noise she made. She didn't dare find out what it would do if she kept shouting.

" _When you wake up from this delusion, you know where to find us."_

Stepmother's voice echoed in her head. Cinderella's body shook with a muffled sob. Had she been deluded after all? Terra had said she wouldn't be alone, but now she _was._ Alone, and helpless, and how was she supposed to keep believing when she was already trapped _again?_

This time it was so much worse, because she _had_ believed. She'd believed in herself, and she'd believed in Terra, and it still hadn't been enough.

Would anything she did ever be enough?

" _You have to be strong. Strength of heart will carry you through the hardest of trials."_

Her sob turned into a tiny hiccup. Terra had thought she was strong. What had he called her? A princess of… a Princess of Heart?

" _You run pretty fast, for a princess."_

Even Vanitas seemed to believe it. And… and there was that time Terra thought she's healed him… but what did it mean? _Was_ there some kind of strength in her heart, a strength she'd yet to understand?

She realized that she'd stopped crying. While her hands still shook, her mind began to clear.

There was no one coming to save her this time. No Terra, no Fairy Godmother. But she couldn't give up. She'd come too far.

She pulled herself into a sitting position and began to take inventory of what she did have. She still wore her plain brown dress with her apron fastened over it, and in one pocket jingled a few pieces of the strange diamond-shaped currency Terra had lent her. She didn't suppose she could bribe the pumpkin-shaped monster into letting her go, though. What else could be useful?

Her hand closed around a needle in her other apron pocket. That wouldn't make much of a weapon now, but maybe if Vanitas came back… well, it would probably be useless then too, unless she caught him completely by surprise.

 _Alright, I have money, a needle, and… the guild paperwork._ She had the incongruous thought of Vanitas hiring her as a tailor. She would have to make him something more suitable than that ragged skirt, and—

She shook her head and almost laughed. Well, laughing was better than crying again. Even if she had nothing that could help her, even if she was all alone, even if the cage was rolling back and forth restlessly again...

On a strange impulse, she patted the floor softly.

"Shh, shh, it's alright," she reassured the monster in a choked voice. "I'm not going anywhere. I—I _can't_ go anywhere."

The cage paused. Was it listening? _Could_ it listen? She could talk to some other animals, but she'd never attempted to communicate with Vanitas's monsters before.

"Can you understand me?"

It bounced slightly. If she'd been standing, she likely would have fallen.

"Alright, I'm not quite sure what that means..."

It wasn't like she could see its face. Unless those curved windows she stared out were its eyes and mouth, but they didn't change expression. The only way the monster did change was by swelling and contracting. Almost like it was breathing.

"You're very strange," she commented, her voice growing more confident. Even if it couldn't understand her, speaking helped her feel more at ease.

Slowly she stood and, after a hesitant step, rested her hand on the wall. The giant pumpkin-carriage-monster (animal?) contracted again, as if it were… leaning into her touch?

"Do you like that?" She asked with a small smile. Yes, the creature was a monster, created by another monster… or boy, or… nevermind; she really didn't know _what_ was going on. Better to wait before jumping to any conclusions.

The creature wasn't rolling anymore, but it did rock slowly back and forth. Peacefully. Alright, this… this she could work with. If she could soothe the creature, perhaps it would allow her to escape.

" _Sing, sweet nightingale, sing sweet nightingale…"_ She murmured the melody while still petting the wall.

It stuttered at her voice, but soon settled back into its calm rocking motion.

" _Sing sweet nightingale, oh, sing sweet…"_

She gasped when white light began emanating from her palm. What was—was this part of her magic, like how she'd helped heal Terra? The light felt tingly in her hand, but she had no idea how to control it. Or what it was doing.

But the pumpkin creature sunk lower on its wheels, shuddering as its underbelly brushed the ground. Its mouthlike window lolled open. A few heartbeats passed, and then it was still.

 _Did… did I really do that?_ She had so many questions, but there was no one around to answer them. And there never would be, unless she escaped.

So she drew her hand back—hoping the magic would still last after her palm stopped glowing—and crept towards the wide window. Her dress caught on the edge as she stepped out, but miraculously she was able to untangle herself without waking the creature.

The dry ground crunched underfoot. All around were strange, broken rock formations, a landscape she'd never seen from the manor windows. But she didn't have time to take it in. She had to get out of here, before the creature came to.

But now that she was out, she had a crushing revelation—there was nowhere to go. Pillars and craters of rock extended as far as the eye could see in the valley before her. Behind the pumpkin-creature was a sheer cliff face, much too steep to climb. She stood on a wide plateau between the cliff and the valley, unable to escape left or right, up or down.

"No," she whispered. "No…"

Before the hopelessness of her situation could sink in entirely, however, she heard one of Vanitas's portals open several paces away. If he came back and saw her outside, she had no idea what he'd do.

But she was _not_ getting back in that cage. She dove behind a large outcropping and peered around for a view of her kidnapper. His portals might be her only way out of this lifeless world. She just needed to get through one without him noticing, and navigate that terrifying darkness between, and…

All thoughts of escape fled her when she saw what came through the portal. Vanitas was there, of course. But behind him was the most repulsive thing she'd ever seen. Eyes, legs, arms—all bits and pieces of the boy's monsters were mashed together to make one lumbering blob. The poor thing had to be suffering—if it could feel, anyway.

But she needn't have worried for the creature. It melted back into Vanitas as soon as it arrived. But in its place gasped someone she hadn't expected to see.

She covered her gasp. Was that _Ven?_ He was so much bigger—a regular-sized boy, like he'd always claimed to be. But Vanitas… what did he want with him? What did he want with _all_ of them? Was Ven part of his plan to lure Terra here, too?

The two boys were too far away for Cinderella to make out their words, but before long Ven was back on his feet, summoning his keyblade, leaping at Vanitas. But the masked boy was just as fast. His dark blade flashed and blocked the attack.

"Ven…" She wanted so badly to help, but what could she do? She didn't even have a broom to swing this time.

The two boys clashed, back and forth, light and dark, a swirling dance so unlike the one she'd shared at the ball. This dance grew more and more one-sided as Vanitas's spells and strikes landed, and Ven's didn't. She didn't want to watch. She didn't want to see what injuries her friend would come back with, when all was said and done.

If he came back from this fight at all.

The thought echoed through her, pounding in the blood inside her ears. She couldn't stand and wait for the outcome of this fight.

" _Vanitas!"_ She shouted, darting from her hiding place.

What was she doing? It didn't matter, didn't matter that this was reckless and foolish and she might get herself killed—she _had_ to try. Ven needed her.

The helmeted face swiveled to her. "You—! Stay out of this!"

"Cinderella?" Ven called. No, she hadn't meant to distract him too!

Vanitas recovered from his surprise faster and shoot a magical chunk of ice at her friend.

" _No!"_

Ven flew back. The ice that had struck his chest blossomed outward until it covered him up to his neck. He squirmed, but the ice dug roots into the dry ground, holding him fast.

"Pathetic," Vanitas spat. "Counting on a helpless Princess to save you?"

"Cinderella, get back! He's dangerous!" Ven pleaded. Doubt flared in her; had she just made things worse by attempting to help?

"I know, Ven," she murmured, standing between the two boys. Her heart was trying to pound out of her chest. But Vanitas hadn't attacked yet, which meant she had a chance.

She couldn't fight him. But she could try something else.

"Why?" She stared at where she knew Vanitas's eyes would be. "Why are you doing this?"

She knew from experience that some people were just filled with darkness. Her stepmother, her stepsisters—people like that didn't need a reason to hurt others, beyond their own selfishness. Maybe Vanitas was like them.

But, maybe he wasn't.

" _That's what you think, huh."_ Quiet words he'd spoken right after being called an abomination. A boy's pleading face. Had it really been a trick?

Vanitas paused, every muscle coiled tight beneath his suit.

"You wouldn't care," he spat from beneath his mask. "Get out of my way."

"No." She swallowed. "I do care. And I won't move."

Vanitas hissed something under his breath. "I can make you move."

"Then why don't you?" It was a question, not a challenge. She knew he could. He was stronger, faster. Something was holding him back.

A strange sound escaped him. Only when it escalated, pitch rising, did she realize it was a hysteric laugh. It filled her with a raw terror. She should move, before this boy—or monster?—snapped completely.

"Why don't I?" He was still laughing. "You think I care, don't you? You think you can talk to me, and everything will be butterflies and rainbows, just like it is for you!"

In a flash he was before her. She cried out and stepped back, but he'd already grabbed her arm.

"Look at me!" He shouted. This close, she still couldn't see through his helmet, but she could see that she was taller than him. He was just a boy.

"I am looking," she said quietly. He may be a boy, but he still had the power to hurt her. End her, if he wanted to. She couldn't forget that.

"Then you should know that what Terra said was right. I'm an abomination."

But she didn't miss how his voice cracked on the word.

"Who told you that?" She whispered.

His grip loosened on her wrist. "What?"

"Was it Terra? Is that why you want to hurt him?"

"What—no!" He sounded like he'd been startled into telling the truth.

"Then who?" She carefully worked her wrist free. He didn't seem to notice. His empty fist clenched tightly.

"It doesn't matter. It's true." His voice held only a shadow of its earlier malice.

Maybe it was true. He'd kidnapped her, and fought her friends, and unleashed his monsters on the worlds. She didn't know him.

But she did know the resignation in his tone. The voice of someone who'd stopped believing—or maybe never believed in the first place.

"It doesn't have to be."

His head jolted up. Oh how she wished she could see beneath that mask, to see if it was surprise or anger or something else that registered in his eyes.

"My life isn't 'butterflies and rainbows,' Vanitas. I know what it's like to be hurt. To have others think you're worthless. Or… less than human."

Her stepsisters tearing at her dress, ripping her apart, their nails clawing trails in her skin. Their words tearing holes in her soul. She knew they were lies, but knowing and feeling were different things then. If Terra and her Fairy Godmother hadn't appeared… would she have come to accept her stepfamily's view of her?

Would she have stopped believing she had worth, too?

Vanitas's hands shook. For a moment she naively thought he would drop his weapon, but then his grip tightened.

"How would you know that?" He spat, but it was quiet, lacking feeling. "I'm _not_ human, Princess, so just—just get out of my way, so I _can_ be."

Her eyes widened. Behind her, Ven gasped.

"You need me for _what?"_ He asked.

At the sound of Ven's voice, though, something in Vanitas seemed to harden.

" _Shut up!"_ He shouted at him, and brought the hilt of his blade into her stomach.

Caught off guard and winded from the blow, she stumbled back next to Ven.

"Please, Vanitas," she gasped out. "Don't do this."

She still couldn't see his eyes, but she thought she could feel them.

"I'll do exactly what I have to."

XXX

" _Who told you that?"_

" _It doesn't matter. It's true."_

" _It doesn't have to be."_

The Princess's words rushed like blood in his ears. She wasn't supposed to talk to him. She wasn't supposed to _care_. He'd manipulated her before, when he'd showed her that glimpse of his face. Was one display of emotion enough to convince her he was human? That he was worth something?

She might believe that. But he couldn't afford to make the same mistake.

A shot of Blizzard, and the Princess lay frozen to the ground next to Ventus. Nevermind the fact that he'd closed his eyes while doing it. Nevermind the fact that now she was looking at him with something too close to pity.

Focus. He just had to thaw Ventus. Finish the fight they were destined for. Become whole, and…

" _Why are you doing this?"_

His other half glared as Vanitas cast Fire. He kept the flame burning, just enough to melt him free. They couldn't rejoin unless both were fighting their hardest, pouring their whole half-hearts into it.

That was why he was doing this, right? So he could have light, and not be an abomination, and maybe, maybe Aqua would…

" _I do care."_

Would Aqua care too, if she knew the truth? Would she have sympathy for an abomination?

No, the Princess might be that stupid, but Aqua wasn't.

As soon as the ice softened, Ventus snapped up, keyblade slicing straight for Vanitas's helmet. He flipped backwards and tightened his grip on Void Gear.

This was his last plan. His _only_ plan. He couldn't let the Princess get under his skin.

He threw everything he could into his attacks. He was weaker without the commands Aqua had stolen from him—he felt the lack of Triple Firaga most—but he could still do this. He'd been winning before. Ventus couldn't hope to beat him, not when he still shivered with the cold remnants of the Blizzard spell.

But for now Ventus was still fast enough. Metal grated as their blades collided. An electric shock ran through Vanitas's arms, but his other half hadn't cast Thunder.

 _Is it happening already?_ His eyes widened. Xehanort had said one of them had to actually be destroyed for them to merge, but this sensation—it was almost like when he traced Ventus through their lingering connection. Light fizzled in his veins, pushing down his Unversed.

Ventus jumped back, panting but grinning at Vanitas's dazed expression. "That's all you've got?"

"Nngh—Shut up!"

He charged again, ignoring the jolt when they clashed this time. Each blocked strike didn't _hurt,_ but there was something there—something trying to tap into his heart—

 _It must be happening. Xehanort was wrong._ Now that the moment was here, he couldn't help his flash of worry. What if he didn't come out quite right? What if the light erased what was left of him? What if he didn't get his old face back?

What if he did? Aqua had called him handsome with this face…

 _It doesn't matter,_ he told himself. _This is my only chance to be_ me _again._

He pushed harder against Wayward Wind and let the warm sensation overtake him.

XXX

" _Please don't do this, Master! I'm not strong enough!" He felt the words in his throat, but—was that really his voice? What was going on? He knew he was merging with Ventus, but the voice was too young, too high even for him. When he tried to touch his throat, he found he couldn't move._

 _No, no, NO— he couldn't be trapped in here, stuck in Ven's head but never being whole—_

" _No. It is because you are trying to hold it in." That voice, at least, was familiar. He'd know Xehanort's condescending rasp anywhere._

 _But Xehanort shouldn't be here. Cinderella was the only other one in the Graveyard… unless more time had passed than he'd realized?_

 _His eyes unwillingly looked towards the top of the cliff where the old Master stood._

" _Let the dark impulses waken in the pit of your heart. Release them, here and now! Sharpen your fear into rage."_

 _The words felt familiar. Where had he heard them before?_

 _Dark pools surrounded him. Even if this was just a memory, his instinctive sickness at the sight felt real. That was ridiculous, though. It was light that always hurt him, not darkness._

 _Humanoid shapes clawed their way out of the liquid darkness. Shapes with glowing, familiar yellow eyes._

 _Vanitas's heart stopped. He knew these Heartless._

 _Neoshadows._

 _Fear clawed its way into his throat. He wanted nothing more than to run, flee these monsters, but his body wouldn't budge._

"Move, idiot!" _He tried to shout at Ven. Or Ventus? Maybe it wasn't Ven, it wasn't him, just the stupid shell left behind, the shell that didn't want him then and didn't want him now that he was a voice in his head—_

" _You must!" Xehanort barked. "If you do not let the storm within you run its course, it will wipe you from the face of the world, make no mistake!"_

 _Ven's body didn't react, other than to flinch away from the approaching Heartless. Meanwhile, panic built up in Vanitas's veins, unable to escape as Unversed. He'd always felt that his fear of Neoshadows arose from something in his locked memories, the half trapped in Ventus. The half closest to their split._

 _Was this it? Was this how he'd been torn from his other half?_

 _It was a brittle comfort that Xehanort seemed to be trying to stop that from happening. If this was a memory, Vanitas knew that he didn't succeed._

" _Do it," Xehanort rasped as the Neoshadows grew closer. Why wasn't he destroying the Heartless? He said something about Ven wiping himself out with his own darkness, but there had to be another way. He was just a kid. He wasn't a monster, not yet._

" _Embrace the darkness," his master continued. "Produce for your Master the X-blade!"_

 _The—_ what?

 _Vanitas didn't have time to process the Master's words. The Neoshadows were too close, so close he could smell the darkness wafting off them, like rotten fruit._

"Come on Ven, fight! You'll be ripped apart!"

 _But Vanitas knew how it ended. He screamed wordlessly as the sharp, shadowy claws struck._

 _Yellow eyes filled his vision. Pain; cold, cold darkness…_

 _...But he was alive. Still inside Ven. That… that couldn't be right, no, he was so sure this was how they'd been broken…_

 _He laid with his face in the dirt, still unable to move of his own will. Heart still pounding. How long would he be stuck in this vision, this memory? He was supposed to merge with Ventus in the present, but what if somehow he'd gone back, he'd never been broken in the first place? Never been created…_

" _Really? You would rather die than use the power? Feckless neophyte." Master Xehanort's words—and the force of his boot turning him over—dragged Vanitas from his fragmented thoughts._

 _He was… he was letting him die. Even though he was Ven. He wasn't an abomination._

" _If I must... I will extract the darkness from within you myself."_

 _No… no, no! This was all wrong! Master Xehanort always said the split was an accident!_

 _The Master's barbed keyblade appeared in a cloud of darkness. Hovered over Ven's heart._

 _Vanitas couldn't look away._

 _His master's cruel smile gleamed down at him as the beam of light struck, and shattered his heart._

XXX

Vanitas gasped for breath, stumbling back from the force of Ventus's blow—and the force of the vision it had inflicted.

They hadn't merged. The failure would've infuriated him, if he wasn't still reeling.

That memory couldn't be real. It just _couldn't._ It was some kind of trick, only Ventus wasn't that smart, and he didn't seem to realize he'd done anything. They were still fighting, as if no time had passed. But everything was different. Vanitas _knew._

Xehanort just wanted the X-Blade.

Xehanort had broken him _on purpose._

Xehanort didn't care if Vanitas was ever whole.

He should've known. He knew his master didn't care about him, but always thought it was just because he was broken, a fragment, a monster. And it wasn't like Vanitas cared about him in return. Once he had the X-Blade, he was going to make it so his Master could never hurt him ever again.

But he'd _lied._ Xehanort did a lot of things, but Vanitas didn't think he lied.

...If he lied about how Vanitas was created, what else was a lie?

Too many questions. Stupid, losing focus in the middle of the most important fight of his life. Merging with Ventus was still his only chance.

He cast a hasty Firaga that disrupted Ventus's Blitz. The boy caught it on the teeth of his blade, dropped, rolled and sprung back into action. For once, Vanitas felt too slow. He blocked the string of attacks, but at each one, his other half's light fizzed through him. What would happen if it broke through his defenses again? What other shadows of his past would Vanitas see?

Then Ventus gasped and skidded back. "What was—what did you do to me!"

"Did you see it too?" Desperation edged the question. Would Ventus remember him? Would he see that they were meant to be reunited?

"You…" Ventus took another step backwards, shaking his head. "No. _No."_

"You did." Vindication swept through him. "Then you know why I have to fight you."

Wide blue eyes stared back at him. What would it be like to stare out those eyes again?

(Could he? Or was that just a lie from Xehanort too; could he even be whole at all—)

"I don't know why you want to fight me, or what I saw," Ventus began lowly. "But I know one thing. I will _not_ let you hurt my _friends!"_

His voice built to a shout—and then exploded in a rush of wind. Vanitas didn't have time to breathe before the sudden Aerora flung him into the air, slammed him against a rock pillar.

The back of his helmet hit with a sharp _crack._ When his vision returned, spiderweb fractures had bloomed into his line of sight _._

"Nngh…" What was that ringing noise? Everything spun, especially the figure striding towards him.

"You had enough yet?" Ventus asked. Too loud. Why was his voice so loud?

With that glare, he looked more like Vanitas than he knew. The image distracted him from the pain shooting through his skull.

 _I can't give up. I can't…_

But his body didn't want to move. He tried to cast a weak Cure, but got a wave of nausea for his efforts. His head still throbbed. Ventus wasn't half the opponent Aqua and Terra were, but he was also fresh. No amount of Cures or Potions could keep Vanitas going forever.

 _Is this it, then? Pathetic..._

He sucked in a deep breath, trying to clear his head and push down the nausea. Why hadn't Ventus killed him yet? Maybe they would still be able to merge if he did.

(If Xehanort hadn't lied about that. If.)

Could he risk that? What if Xehanort just wanted him dead?

(He's an abomination beyond hope of salvation, after all.)

"Are you… are you still awake?" Ventus asked. Too loud, _too loud,_ just like the wind beating against the cliff and the thoughts tripping over themselves in his head.

He was still slumped against the pillar. Ventus had asked if he was awake, but really, he might've looked dead. His chest barely rose with his shallow breaths. His back had to be one messy splotch of bruises. And his mask was still intact, if barely. It wouldn't be able to take another hit.

"Do it," he finally whispered.

"What?" Ventus stepped forward. Vanitas wasn't sure if he hadn't heard, or if he didn't understand.

"Do it. Kill me."

Ventus gaped at the blunt request. _"What?"_

Vanitas tried to get to his feet, but his head wasn't quite ready. More spinning, tilting, falling. Did he have a concussion? Void, that would explain it. Cure spells didn't work on those. Or at least, his Cure spells didn't.

"Kill me. Or else Xehanort's going to."

Either Ventus killed him and they forged the X-Blade, or Xehanort killed him for his failure. But even if he did create the powerful weapon, there was a good chance Xehanort would kill him and take it. Why else would the old coot be so insistent on Vanitas making it? Insistent enough to _rip him apart?_

"Master Xehanort?" Ventus asked incredulously. But no, that wasn't Ventus's voice.

"Terra!" Ventus called, running to throw his arms around his friend as he jumped from his glider.

Vanitas's throat went dry. Of course Terra would come. He'd taken Cinderella to draw him here, but he'd thought he'd have more time. Time to merge with Ventus, then destroy Terra before Xehanort could use his body to become more powerful.

But with Ventus and Terra here now—and considering the state Vanitas was in—he didn't have a chance. Terra would kill him before his other half could. They wouldn't reunite. The abomination of _Vanitas_ would cease to exist.

 _It wouldn't… it wouldn't be so bad, would it?_

He'd always fought tooth and nail to cling to life. But he'd always had hope. Hope for the X-Blade, hope that he'd become whole. Even as his plans grew more and more desperate, he'd never given up.

But he hadn't taken the smartest path, either. If he'd just killed Aqua, would he have ended up like this?

 _At least she's not here. She… Xehanort thinks she's dead. She'll be safe._

The thought brought a smile to his lips even as Terra, Ventus, and a now-thawed Cinderella stalked towards him.

"I think he hit his head too hard," Ventus was telling Terra. Still too loud. "He wasn't moving. And then he wanted me to kill him."

Cinderella gasped at that. The cracks in the left side of his helmet split Terra's image like fractals, but Vanitas could still tell that his expression was solid steel.

"I know we can't trust you, Vanitas," the older boy said in a low, dangerous voice. "So I'm not going to bother asking you why you kidnapped my friends."

"So you're just going to kill me." Vanitas's voice was flat. For once, he wasn't up for arguing. He was just so, so _tired_. He faintly registered a sticky warmth dripping down the back of his neck… that was sweat, right?

"No," Terra said after sharing a look with Cinderella. "We'll take you back to Master Eraqus. He'll decide what to do with you."

"Ah. So _he'll_ kill me."

He should really take off his helmet. The warmth on his neck was tickling. He had the strangest urge to laugh even as he felt like he would vomit. That would be a problem in his mask.

But then they'd see his face. He didn't want them to see how lost he felt.

How scared.

He didn't want to die.

"I thought you asked me to… put an end to you," Ventus said quietly.

Vanitas's eyes widened. Had he been reading his thoughts? No, just responding to his earlier dismal tone.

"No," he whispered. Too quietly for the trio to hear.

"Forget it, Ven. Let's just get him on the glider. I'm sure the Master will know what to do."

"Should we try to heal him?" The Princess's voice. Somewhere along the way Vanitas's eyes had closed. So tired.

"Not yet. He'll probably attack again, if he can."

"But…"

She still wanted to heal him? After everything he'd done? Void, she really was stupid. He wished she would, though. His skull felt as cracked as his helmet. And he really needed to move. He couldn't let them take him to their Master, and he couldn't stay here where his own Master would find him.

He had to escape. He didn't know where, or how, but surely there was somewhere in the worlds where Xehanort wouldn't find him. There had to be somewhere, anywhere—

But he was so _tired._

Tired enough that he barely fought the arms lifting him onto the metal glider. And tired enough that he didn't hear the _other_ glider arrive, until its owner shouted towards him.

" _Void!"_

But not tired enough to keep Aqua's voice from cutting to his half-heart.

 **A/N: originally we were going to get to Aqua in this chapter. But. This is solid 18 pages in my google doc already.**

 **Anyway I know I've been super slow at updating this so I hope you still remember some of the foreshadowing for Ven/Vanitas's memory loss and not knowing the whole truth about how he was split. If not, here's my disclaimer that I know that isn't canon but I've been writing it this way all along, so I hope it didn't feel out of nowhere.**


	15. Crying

**A/N: hey look it hasn't been 3 months this time**

 **Seriously though, thank you to everyone who's stayed with this fic! Especially to those of you who leave reviews, it makes my day every single time!**

The little Flood did _not_ know how to navigate. It skittered back and forth across her handlebars, leading her glider in a winding path through the Lanes Between. Was it actually guiding her to a destination? Or was it just trying to get her lost, so she _couldn't_ rescue Vanitas?

But then the dry, abandoned world came into view, and her stomach turned. Below was a darkness so deep she could feel it from here. Perhaps it was part of the world itself. Something about the barren place just felt _wrong_.

Her glider stalled as she hovered over the world. Logically, she knew that Void had brought Vanitas to this cursed place as bait to trap her again.But what choice did she have? She couldn't leave her friend with the monster.

The Flood scampered up her arm and curled itself into the crook of her shoulder. Then it tapped on her helmet and gestured to the world below.

"Don't worry, I'm not giving up because of a little darkness." She scratched it behind its antennae before casting one last Cure and opening a portal through the world's barrier.

When she emerged on the other side, the scene that spread before her didn't make any sense. From high on her glider, she could see Terra and Ven and—who was that girl?—helping a limp Void onto Terra's glider. How had all of them found Void before she had? And where was Vanitas?

She noticed a pumpkinlike Unversed around the other side of a large rock. Another cage, just like the one she'd been trapped in. She let out a breath of relief. Vanitas must be in there, but as much as she itched to check on him, he would be safe for a few more minutes. Void was the more pressing issue.

She descended on her glider, her metal boots clanging against the hard ground when she jumped the final few feet. She dismissed her mask but left the rest of her armor on.

" _Void!"_

Her once-kidnapper's cracked mask jolted up to look at her. As for the rest of him, he was still limply laid across the front of Terra's glider. What had happened to him?

"Void?" Ven frowned, head tilting. "But he's—"

Void started coughing loudly. The Flood on her shoulder cringed and scrambled down to him. Before she could stop it, it had dissolved back into its creator.

 _Traitor._ It was ridiculous, but she wished that it had stayed to help her.

"Cut that out." Terra shook Void's shoulder roughly. "You're just—"

Aqua stalked forward and silenced him with a glare. "Just because I'm here to help with Void doesn't mean you're forgiven for what you tried to do, Terra."

Behind him, the other girl's eyes widened. How had she gotten mixed up with all the keyblade wielders? The Master wasn't going to be happy about that—but then again, she'd gotten Vanitas involved. She could hardly judge Terra and Ven for working with this girl.

No, but there were plenty of other things she _could_ judge Terra for.

"Aqua, I _didn't_ do anything to your Vanitas," Terra insisted.

 _Her Vanitas._ That sent a strange jolt through her, but she didn't have time to dwell on that.

"Oh, really? Then why did you tell me you _destroyed him,_ Terra? What could that have _possibly_ meant?"

Rage boiled under her skin. Was this what darkness felt like? She didn't know. Didn't care. She just knew that she'd _defended_ Terra to their Master, and he'd proved her wrong. He'd tried to _kill_ an innocent boy. Even if he hadn't succeeded, that didn't make things right.

Ven's head swiveled between them, confusion etched on his features. She was glad to know he was alright, but—were his clothes covered in gashes? Light, had Terra lethim fight Void?

"Uhh… Aqua?" He spoke up, inclining his head towards Void, who'd gone completely still. Was he still breathing? No, she shouldn't worry about that. It would be a gift to the worlds if he was eliminated. Even if he was nothing more than Master Xehanort's pawn, he couldn't be allowed to spread the Unversed.

"Not now, Ven." Aqua locked her glare back on Terra. "I want to hear _his_ explanation for this."

"Do you? You didn't want to listen to me before." Terra crossed his arms. "Besides, I don't think I'm the one you should be asking."

He stepped aside, giving Aqua a better view of Void. He was struggling slightly now, though it wasn't doing much good. He couldn't even roll himself over onto his back. Well, at least he wouldn't be hurting her or Vanitas any more. Still, it was strange seeing the monster she'd worked so hard to escape reduced to this.

"Aqua," he rasped. Maybe his coughing hadn't been as fake as it sounded. "You have to get out of here."

Her brow furrowed. She wasn't sure what she'd expected her once-captor to say, but it wasn't that.

"You're not in any position to be making demands, Void."

Terra snorted behind her, but she didn't turn to see why. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Ven's mouth opening and shutting. He kept quiet though, thankfully. She would deal with her two irresponsible ( _and worse_ ) friends later.

The masked boy finally managed to roll over, grunting in the process. The metal of the glider had to be digging into his back. She wouldn't feel sorry for him, though, for all that he almost seemed like a real person then. He breathed slowly, shakily, before speaking again.

"Am I in a position to beg?"

Her mouth opened wordlessly. Void had always been so arrogant, hiding any weakness under sharp remarks and his mask. But his voice wasn't biting or sarcastic now.

"Begging won't stop us from taking you to Master Eraqus," Terra interjected. "Come on, spit it out. I know you kidnapped Aqua and lied to her. If you don't tell her, I will."

What was there to tell? She knew that much already. Had Terra learned something else while fighting Void in this barren wasteland?

A shaky laugh snuck through the cracks in Void's helmet. "If I tell you, will you leave? You _can't_ stay here."

"Why not?" She asked.

"Because!" He snapped, but that seemed to take all of his energy. His tense muscles grew limp again. "I can't—I don't want you to—"

"Void—"

"He'll _kill you!"_ He burst. His chest heaved as he sucked in air.

"Who?" Terra's eyes narrowed. Aqua didn't appreciate him butting in—she'd put up with Void for days; she could handle him now. Even if his demeanor was completely different, and he sounded like he… actually cared?

"Xehanort," he gasped out weakly. "He could be here soon. Take me to your Master, whatever, just— _leave!"_

His voice was desperate. Too desperate to be fake, but it didn't make any sense. If Xehanort was coming, shouldn't he be happy? They were working together, right?

" _Master_ Xehanort would never kill Aqua." Terra clenched a hand on Void's shoulder, making the boy hiss.

"Terra…" Ven started.

Void let out another ragged laugh. "Just like he'd never shatter a kid's heart, right?"

Ven winced. Aqua's attention snapped to him.

"You know what he's talking about?"

"He said that was an accident!" Terra said, and she whirled on him instead.

" _What_ was an accident?"

"Believe me, it was no accident," Void said. "You know that, right, _Ventus?"_

Her younger friend's head swiveled between the three of them. Aqua's thoughts were spinning just as much. Shattered? Was that how… was that how Ven had lost his memories? And why did Terra and _Void_ of all people know?

Ven's voice was strained. "Please, I… I don't want to talk about it."

The girl who Aqua had forgotten about stepped close to Ven, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I can't pretend to know what's going on, but arguing with each other isn't going to help. It wouldn't hurt to leave. We can always talk about this elsewhere."

"Unless that's part of his plan to escape," Terra replied, but his tone calmed significantly.

"You might be right, but I feel that something's… wrong, with this place."

The girl and Terra shared a silent conversation with their eyes. Had she picked up on the feeling of darkness the way Aqua had? And why did Terra trust _her_ judgement so much?

"Alright." He nodded. "Ven will take you on his glider."

Ven grinned and slapped his shoulder pauldron. His armor flashed over him, hiding his excited face from view. "My glider's different from Terra's, but it's still really cool! You'll love it!"

But then Void took in a sharp hiss. "Too late."

Aqua summoned her keyblade as a dark portal opened across the plateau. But… if Void was already here...

"I'm sorry, Aqua," she thought she heard him whisper as he curled in on himself.

And then Master Xehanort strode from the portal.

XXX

Vanitas wanted to scream. They hadn't listened. Why hadn't they listened? Was their hatred for him even stronger than their pathetic senses of self-preservation? Xehanort was _here_ and he was going to _kill them,_ kill _him,_ kill _Aqua—_

After everything he'd done to keep her out of trouble. Everything he'd risked. All of it was going to fall apart.

He could still feel blood pooling in the back of his helmet. He really should've been unconscious by now. Maybe that would be best; then he wouldn't have to see Xehanort destroy the one person he'd ever cared for.

"Aqua," the old man greeted her as if they were friends. Vanitas grit his teeth; Xehanort didn't deserve to speak her name. "I am pleased to see you escaped this abomination's clutches. And you must be the Cinderella I've heard so much about."

The Princess gasped. "Who are you?"

"You don't want to know," Vanitas whispered, catching her attention. His fading vision was still stuck staring at the sky, but he felt her brush against his leg. "Run. You're a Princess, he won't want to hurt you."

"But…" She trailed off. Too stupid to run, then. Why had he even bothered? Probably the concussion ruining whatever sense he had left.

"I am a friend." Xehanort's voice drew nearer. "I learned that Terra had succeeding in capturing the mistake I created. I am here to help put an end to him."

So _that_ was the angle the old man was going to play. Vanitas could've laughed. It was just like his lie to Terra before. But why keep up the act? Was keeping the trio's trust more important to him than keeping Vanitas as a pawn?

Did he somehow know that Vanitas had already failed to forge the X-Blade? That he was functionally useless? ...Well, if he hadn't before, his crumpled state atop the glider confirmed it.

"He's lying," Vanitas hissed through his pain. "He's using you all, just like he used me. He wants Terra to—"

Xehanort _tsk-tsked._ Too close, oh Void, those slow steps would reach him any second.

He didn't want to die. He really, really didn't want to die. Not like this.

"Come now, boy. Surely you must have known this was going to happen."

"No." Ventus's voice. Quiet, but firm as he moved to stand in front of Vanitas. What was the idiot doing? Did he think he could stand up to Xehanort? Void, _why_ was he standing up to him?

"Hmm?"

"I… I know what you did," Ventus said. "I don't understand it all, but… you're the reason I lost my memories. I don't want you near me or my friends."

"Ven—" Terra started to say, but Xehanort's chuckle cut him off.

"So you've learned the truth, have you? I suppose you have questions, then."

"I've got a question." Aqua stepped away from Vanitas—no, why was she going _towards_ Xehanort? She needed to get out of here! "Why did you send Void to kidnap me?"

Vanitas stopped breathing. This was it. It didn't matter, he knew logically, since Xehanort was going to kill him anyway. But his heart still wrenched at the thought of Aqua finding out his identity like this. He should've just told her when Terra gave him the chance.

Xehanort was silent for a moment. Vanitas still didn't dare breathe, not even when the throbbing in his head made him want to cry out.

"I instructed _Vanitas_ to do no such thing."

He finally let out the breath. There it was. If Aqua didn't get it by now, she really was an idiot.

He screwed his eyes shut, thinking that maybe dying wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Van… Vanitas?" Aqua's voice cracked. He'd missed hearing her say his name. Even now, his stupid, pathetic heart jumped.

"That's what I tried to tell you," Terra said. "Whoever you think Vanitas is, that's not him. _This_ is him."

"No… it… he _can't."_

He couldn't take it—not knowing, not seeing her face as she said those words. He poured the last of his strength into gripping the edge of the glider, heaving himself upright, staring into her eyes.

And for once he thought he had a whole heart, because it shattered again.

XXX

 _He's lying. Void can't be… light, he_ can't…

She knew it could be a trap, but she couldn't stop herself from approaching Void, from staring into her reflection in his cracked mask as he struggled to sit up.

Thin tears ran down her face. Her hair was still disheveled from her armor and the fight with Void before. The fight where he'd tried to choke the light from her. Her Cure spells had healed any bruising, but she could still feel the shadow of his hand around her throat.

The same hand that, if Xehanort was to be believed, she'd held as they danced.

"Aqua…"

The same hand that now reached towards her, that drooped as she flinched away.

Now that she knew to listen for it, she could hear the note of Vanitas's voice in his. It was distorted slightly by the helmet, but it sounded closer to the sad-eyed boy from the ball than the arrogant monster she'd fought. Which one of those voices was his true one?

She shook her head violently. "Don't—just don't."

She was going to be sick. He'd lied to her. He'd hurt her. What had he possibly hoped to gain, if kidnapping her hadn't been on Xehanort's orders?

"What did you want from me?" She burst, gripping her keyblade like it was a lifeline. Even if she knew she couldn't turn it on Void— _Vanitas?_ —just yet. Not until she knew for sure.

Not until she saw his face. But light, was she strong enough to face those eyes she'd worked so hard to protect?

"Nothing," he breathed. "Everything."

"Light, Vanitas, _stop playing games with me!_ "

The others around them fell away. Right then, it was just her and the boy who might be a monster, or her friend, or—in another life—something more than that. But not now, not now.

"I don't expect you to believe me." He shook his head, his fingers brushing the side of his mask, as if he could hold the broken thing together, keep the truth from seeping through the cracks. "I don't think I'd believe myself either. I was stupid. So, _so stupid."_

If that wasn't the most Vanitas thing she'd ever heard, she didn't know what was. A small, choked sob escaped her.

"I'm the one who was stupid, to think you actually cared."

He flinched, curling his arms around himself. The same action his Scrappers made when they started wisping out of him.

"No, stop—not now," he growled at the monsters, and they were sucked back into his skin. She hated how much that explained. It was _his_ Flood that had guided her here, that had once led her to escape—

Wait.

She'd watched that first small Flood's creation, while Void—while _Vanitas—_ had been lost in a nightmare. It had been created just as involuntarily as these Unversed now. Yet still it had helped her.

Light, how was she supposed to explain that?

Swallowing, she stepped closer to Void—to _Vanitas_ again. His head hung low, but his shoulders tensed at her approach.

"Will it be you, then?" He whispered. "Will you kill me?"

Her eyes widened. The quiet acceptance in his voice caught her off guard. Made her even now want to reassure him, tell him everything was going to be okay—but she wasn't going to lie like he did.

When he realized she wasn't going to answer, he again spoke in a brittle voice.

"I'd rather it be you."

Her throat tightened. He—wanted _her_ to kill him? If anyone had a reason to, it was her, but—

Oh light, her heart couldn't take this.

She dismissed her armor's gauntlets and wiped her eyes on the back of her non-keyblade hand. Then, with a gentleness he probably didn't deserve, she pressed her fingers against the cracks in his helmet.

He trembled beneath her hand as the glass broke away, shards collecting in the empty space beneath his chin. Matted clumps of black hair snuck out from the damaged helmet, and she brushed them away from his eyes.

His scared, tear-filled, _gold_ eyes.

"Heal," she whispered before her mind caught up to her pounding heart. Vanitas's visible eye widened as the green glow surrounded him.

"What—?"

"Aqua, what are you _doing?"_ Terra's voice called from several paces off, where he'd been talking with Ven and Xehanort. She couldn't believe she'd let herself be distracted for so long—what had the older Master told them? Was he really as innocent as Terra seemed to think, or had Vanitas's words been true?

Her mind told her to trust Terra. Her heart, confused as it was, wanted to believe Vanitas. Her own power to sense darkness didn't pick up anything from Master Xehanort—but she'd seen him emerge from a dark portal. That couldn't be a good sign.

"Ah, it seems that abomination has gotten to her. What a pity. I had thought a Master would be able to resist his dark influence, but…" The old Master trailed off.

"Aqua?" Ven asked. For all that he'd stood up to Xehanort before, he now seemed at ease standing next to him and Terra. What had the Master said to him?

Only the girl—Cinderella, Master Xehanort said her name was—looked at Vanitas with anything resembling sympathy. But even she stuck close to Terra.

Could Aqua really do this? Trust the words of a boy she barely knew—a boy who probably lied about everything that mattered?

"You shouldn't have done that," Vanitas said, leaping from the glider and summoning his dark keyblade.

Fear shot through Aqua. Her foolish flash of sympathy would be the end of everything. Just when she thought he would strike her, his body angled towards Xehanort and her friends.

"Now he has an excuse to kill you," he spat. She caught a brief flash of his gritted teeth. "Sounds like he's already told your friends I brainwashed you, or something."

"They—they wouldn't believe that!" _Would they?_ Aqua herself couldn't tell if Xehanort could be trusted. Her main evidence against him was an accidental confession from Void— _Vanitas—_ over Command Board. And the dark portal he'd arrived through… and, of course, the primal fear in the boy's eyes now.

Vanitas shrugged. "Xehanort can be very persuasive, when he wants to be. But… you still might be able to fix this."

"How?"

He turned towards her, his one visible eye still glistening.

"Kill me."

Then he raised his keyblade high, and rushed towards her.

XXX

"Aqua!" Terra called, running towards her. What was she _doing?_ She'd healed the monster, and then he'd turned on her. Just like Terra had expected. Just like—

His eyes widened. He'd seen this scene before.

 _A masked boy, keyblade held high overhead, poised to strike—_

The vision had come right here, when he'd last spoken to Master Xehanort. Had he seen the future? He'd never heard of keyblade wielders having that power before.

He shook off the memory. Aqua needed him in the present.

Except when he tried to reach her, he slammed against something solid. He fell back with a curse that he hoped Ven was too far behind to hear.

"What?" Ven was already beside him, banging his armored fists against the near-invisible barrier. An accidental curse was the least of his worries, though. "Aqua!"

If she could hear them, she didn't show it. She cartwheeled aside as Vanitas shot Fire and Blizzard towards her. He was wide open after casting the spells, but instead of closing the distance she fired off a few weak spells of her own. They missed him, ice shattering in front of his feet. Then Vanitas was shouting, if his wide gestures were anything to go by. Was the barrier soundproof?

"Come on, Aqua, fight harder!" Ven pleaded.

"What's happening?" Cinderella asked when she caught up to them.

"It is as I said," Master Xehanort intoned somberly. While his brows were upturned in sympathy, he seemed in no rush to destroy the barrier keeping them from the battle. "You told me that Vanitas had captured your friend. It appears he has poisoned her mind too deeply for her to break free."

"No," Terra breathed. "There has to be a way! Just help me get in there!"

The Master shook his head. "I cannot. This barrier is Aqua's own construction. If I destroyed it, it would only give Vanitas an opening to harm her."

"Why did she do it?" Terra clenched his fists. "She didn't have to fight him alone!"

"But she's not even fighting him!" Ven pressed the visor of his helmet against the barrier.

He was right—Aqua's infrequent attacks were half-hearted at best, mostly ending in their keyblades locked together, both trying to push the other back. The only consolation was that Vanitas barely seemed to be fighting much harder. Maybe he was just waiting for the chance to drag Aqua completely under his power. If Vanitas had no one else on his side, he must know that Terra, his friends, and Master Xehanort would destroy him easily.

"I don't understand," Cinderella whispered. "I was so sure he just wanted… but I suppose that was wishful thinking. I let myself believe he wanted the same things I did."

Terra's heart broke when he looked down at her crestfallen face. Her heart was so strong, so full of love. She shouldn't have to watch this. She'd seen enough darkness in her life.

Hesitantly, Terra reached to take her hand. She met his eyes and gave his hand a soft squeeze. When this was over, they'd sort everything out between them, but for now it was enough that she didn't hate him for trying to destroy Vanitas.

"It's not your fault. He even tricked Aqua, and she's one of the strongest people I know." He gazed back through the barrier, and Cinderella's hand tightened around his.

"Then she'll be okay," she said. "Believe in her, Terra. If she's anything like you, she'll make it through this."

He glanced at her, eyes widening at the simple show of faith. She might not know Aqua, but she believed in Terra, and in his friends by extension. It wasn't empty words, either. He could feel the tingling of light where their hands touched.

Maybe, if he could share some of that with Aqua… could that give her the strength to fight back?

He dismissed the rest of his armor, wincing when he remembered he was still in his fancy outfit. But it couldn't be helped; he needed to get to his pockets. He dug for his Wayfinder, but instead his fingers closed around the keychain he'd found in the storage shed.

"Hold this for a minute." He passed it to Cinderella, then could finally reach his Wayfinder.

"What's this?" She gasped as she held the glass keychain up against the sun. "It looks just like my glass slippers."

"Weird, huh?" But Terra didn't have time to explain what it was or how he'd found it. He was busy searching for a scrap of light to share with Aqua. Unfortunately, he remembered he'd run out during the last fight with Vanitas. He hadn't picked up any D-Link Crystals since then.

"Gah…" He shoved the useless charm back into his pocket. "Ven, do you have any D-Link Crystals saved up?"

"Yeah, I fought some Unversed before Vanitas grabbed me. Why?"

While Terra explained his plan, Master Xehanort raised an eyebrow.

"...Do you think it won't work?" Terra asked the older Master, suddenly feeling foolish. D-Linking with Aqua was hardly a plan at all, but at least it was _something._ He hated standing around uselessly while his friend was in trouble.

"No, there is the possibility that it might. Connections of the heart are fickle things." Master Xehanort frowned as his gaze was drawn back to Vanitas and Aqua's battle.

That was when Terra realized that it wasn't much of a battle anymore—somehow Aqua had gotten Vanitas pinned on the ground. Even when she released him, he curled up and didn't try to fight back. She'd won without any extra help after all. A sigh of relief escaped him; he should've known to trust her.

"Apparently even for those with only half of one," the Master murmured.

But before Terra could decipher the Master's words, his stomach lurched. The ground shifted beneath his feet; he was flying—no, the _earth_ was rising, obeying the command of Master Xehanort's curling fingers. He heard Ven's shout as the boy fell beside him, but he could barely see through the rush of wind, and—

The rising pillar of earth ground to a halt, leaving Terra's stomach far below. Despite his dizziness and sudden desire to throw up, he braced himself with Earthshaker and tried to stand. Ven was by his side in a heartbeat, steadying him at his elbow.

"Terra, I think Vanitas might've been telling the truth."

"No, there's—Master Xehanort must have a reason for this." He stared across the new pillar and locked eyes with the old Master.

He was smiling. Somehow Terra didn't find it comforting this time.

"Ever the idealist." Xehanort's lips quirked further upward, revealing a glint of teeth. "An unusual trait for one with such a deep well of darkness."

Terra winced and curled his fist over his heart. Master Xehanort hadn't judged him for his darkness before. That had been the hope he'd clung to while flying to this barren world—that when all his friends had abandoned him, Xehanort would still be here.

But… his friends _were_ here. They hadn't abandoned him. Ven, and Cinderella—

 _Cinderella!_ She wasn't on the pillar. Hopefully she was safe below.

"I don't care what you think," Ven told Xehanort while summoning his keyblade—it must have fallen when the ground had surged beneath them. "It doesn't matter if Terra has darkness! He's not going to use it to help you make the X-Blade, or—or whatever it is you want!"

Master Xehanort chuckled. "Believe me, boy, you have no idea what I want."

Terra blinked. Sometime in the shuttersnap between sight and darkness, the Master teleported behind his friend.

"Ven!" Terra shouted. What was happening? Master Xehanort wouldn't—!

Those idealistic fantasies fled him when Master Xehanort grabbed Ven by the back of his helmet. Through it all, his yellow gaze remained fixed on Terra.

"And you have no idea what I'm capable of."

Ice cracked from the Master's fingers. Shattered Ven's helmet, revealing one wide blue eye; shot down his armor, locking his limbs in place. His frozen, gaping profile silhouetted against the darkening sky.

Without another word, the Master that Terra had trusted dropped his friend over the edge.

XXX

"You—you _idiot!"_ Vanitas snarled, sounding more like Void with every passing minute. "You can fight harder than this!"

She could. She could, she _wanted_ to, her blood screamed with it. Rage, confusion, pain. She couldn't release it in monsters the way he could. But it would hardly come out in her strikes either.

He was still crying. She saw it every time their blades came close enough to collide—wet drops painted his golden eye a stinging red.

Monsters didn't cry.

A boy who asked her to kill him did.

"You don't want this," she murmured, unable to speak much louder through the tightness in her throat, the ice that crystallized in her chest. Nevermind that none of his Blizzard spells even came close to hitting her.

"You don't know what I want!" He screamed. His blade stabbed towards her, more accurate than any of his magic—but still wild, easy to knock aside. Her training urged her to take the opening her parry provided.

She didn't. Because he was right—she didn't know. She had _no idea_ what he wanted. That made him dangerous. But it also meant that if she didn't find out now, she never would.

"Then what _do_ you want, Vanitas?" She choked out.

They were close enough that she could see the shudder pass through him as she said his name. The laugh that followed was a mangled sound.

"What do _I_ want?"

He was back in her space, cutting and slashing with reckless abandon, no power backed up the strikes.

"You asked me that before, you know," he said when the shafts of their blades locked. " _Make a wish. Anything you want."_

She gasped, giving him an opening to shove her back. But the pressure against her keyblade didn't intensify.

"It was you." She knew that, she _knew_ that, but hearing that memory under these circumstances sent a shock through her. That shooting star was between her and a handsome boy she'd danced with, not her and this, this—

She didn't know what to call him. Not a monster. Not when his eyes leaked sparkling tears and his weapon never left a trace on her skin.

"Sorry to disappoint," he said, but his sarcasm couldn't cover the hurt grimace. Maybe the mask was meant to hide more than his identity. All his emotions played plainly across his face.

He finally forced her back and blasted Blizzard and Fire towards her again, rapid bursts that forced her to dodge and skid across the dusty ground. Vaguely she wondered why he never used Thunder. The homing bolts would make up for his lack of accuracy—but maybe that was the point.

Maybe he wasn't just reckless with rage and fear. Maybe he was just as confused as she was, maybe he didn't _want_ to hurt her—

—Or he was trying to lull her into a false sense of security. He'd never had a problem fighting her before. Had he?

Light, she couldn't handle these thoughts. She'd chase herself in circles faster than his keyblade could catch her.

Well, if she couldn't catch her thoughts...Then she would just have to catch _him_.

The next time he came in close to attack, the next time their keyblades screeched against each other, she grabbed the hilt of his weapon and quickly stepped back. The tug and momentum sent him sprawling forward to the dirt. From there she crouched over him and dug her armored knee into his back. She had to throw aside her keyblade so she could hold his wrists down. A hiss of pain escaped him as his own keyblade vanished, but she kept her position.

"Are you gonna finish this or not?" He asked through panting breaths. "Your friends still need you. You're wasting time."

She looked up and to her left, where Terra, Ven, Cinderella, and Xehanort still stood outside her barrier. No one was attacking. She was surprised they hadn't tried to break through to finish off Vanitas yet, but she'd consider it a blessing.

"I can't help them when I don't know what we're up against." She shifted her weight, making sure not to give Vanitas an opening to throw her off—not that he seemed to be trying. He just laid there limply, the unbroken side of his helmet pressed against the dirt. His yellow eye stayed trained on her. Somewhere along the way, it had finally dried.

She knew from the sting of salt that hers hadn't.

"Why did you do it?" It wasn't the question she'd meant to ask—that would've been _what is Xehanort planning?_ Or maybe _how am I supposed to trust you after what you've done?_ But it was what her heart wanted to know. _Needed_ to know.

He kept staring at her. It couldn't have been comfortable for him; it required looking out the back corner of his eye, with the angle his neck was twisted. It was still uncanny, seeing the face of her friend on the body of her enemy. She remembered how easily he'd lifted her when she'd almost passed out. His skintight clothing now showed off the strength that his formal suit had hidden, but it had still been _him,_ those arms gently carrying her…

"You're still beautiful."

His words were barely a murmur. That didn't stop shock from flooding through her, warming her face and making her all too aware of her position on top of him. And of the fact that she'd been staring, too.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere." Her voice stayed cold, thank the light.

His eye widened, though she wasn't sure why. Had he expected her to melt at one little compliment? She was stronger than that.

"It wasn't flattery. It's just a fact." A soft smile tugged his lips. In that moment, despite his beaten position and the fragments of glass cradling his face, he looked just like the Vanitas that she had shared her light with.

Light that she'd given _on purpose._ When he'd been the one to steal it from her before.

"Stop it!" She shouted, gripping his wrists tighter, grinding them into the dirt. "You—you don't get to say that! Not anymore!"

He grit his teeth, shut his eyes.

"I… you're right." He swallowed. "I'm... sorry."

Her breath caught in her throat. "What?"

"That's… what people say when they feel regret, isn't it?" His eye opened, searching her with a questioning tilt to his brow.

"You regret kidnapping me?" She scowled. "Of course you would. You wouldn't be here wanting to die if you hadn't."

It was a low blow, she knew. But right then she didn't care. If he was _still_ trying to manipulate her, after everything…

"No," he said. "I don't regret kidnapping you."

"Then why are you—!"

"I'm sorry I hurt you!"

She went silent, her mouth hanging open dumbly.

"I was stupid. I didn't want… I didn't want you to know. That I was this… _abomination_."

Water pooled in his eyes again. She hated it. Why did he have to look like he was hurting as badly as she was? He deserved it…

 _Because he's an abomination, right?_ But her gaze softened as she watched him cry. He had darkness in him—but so did Terra, she knew. She couldn't call him a monster for that, any more than she could hold her friend's nature against him.

"No," she whispered. "You're not an abomination."

His eye widened. "What?"

"You might have darkness in you, but you still had a choice," she explained, letting the comfortable layer of anger settle back over her. "You _chose_ to do what you did. You can't blame that on what you are."

"I—you think I had a _choice?"_ He spat. For the first time he tried to squirm out from under her, but she kept him firmly pinned. "I didn't _ask_ to be ripped apart! I didn't ask to be Xehanort's pawn! All I wanted was—"

He cut off abruptly. There were a million questions for those three sentences alone, but Aqua knew there wasn't time. While they might be mysteriously preoccupied right now, her friends or Xehanort could break through any moment. She had to pick her questions carefully.

"All you wanted was what?" Curse the part of her that still, after everything, wanted to understand him. This might be her only chance to get information on Xehanort, if he was the real threat; she should be asking about him. But her heart had a clearer path to her voice than her mind.

Vanitas took a deep breath and slowly released it. What remained of his fire seemed to fade in the process, until his body was still and cold.

"...It doesn't matter anymore, but...I just wanted... to be whole again," his voice quieted. For some reason, his gaze flickered towards her friends outside the barrier. Was he jealous? Of their light, maybe?

Aqua didn't know. She didn't even know if she believed him. But… those were the same sad eyes she remembered.

"And how was kidnapping me supposed to make you whole?"

He laughed mirthlessly. "At first I thought I could use you. You've got so much light… but you're still a normal person. You couldn't handle it."

"Are you talking about the dizziness after you took my light?" She frowned. Not to mention the horrid emptiness that had consumed her. But neither of those things had killed her… she was surprised he would give up just because of those side-effects.

"I didn't know that would happen. None of the Princesses ever reacted when I stole their light."

"You kidnap girls often then?" She found herself snapping. He tried to shake his head, then seemed to realize how stupid that was while it was pressed against the ground.

"No. Just you."

She couldn't read his voice. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"...Do you feel better?" He asked in confusion.

Light, he was going to be the death of her. And he wouldn't even need his keyblade to do it.

"If you had others to take light from, why kidnap _me?"_

A million words questions were wrapped up in that single one. _Why did you dance with me? Why did you tell me I was beautiful and skip rocks with me and stare at the stars? Why did you write that letter and escape the castle with me instead of capturing me again?_

The more she thought about it, the less it made sense.

"Because, I…" he swallowed, "I was too weak to kill you."

... _What?_

She let him go. That wasn't the proper reaction after finding out someone had thought about killing you. But her limbs had gone limp at some point after processing his words.

He used the opportunity to roll over onto his side and curl into himself, like he was anticipating a kick to the gut.

"That's why I won't apologize for kidnapping you," he murmured, not meeting her eyes. "It was that or kill you. Xehanort wanted you out of his way. I was stupid to think I could hide you from him forever…"

Her eyes flashed to the old man talking with her friends. If he'd ordered her death, how much worse would he do to them? If Vanitas's words could even be trusted. But it made sense—that might even explain why he'd demanded to take her keyblade when she was a prisoner. Everyone knew that keyblades were the only remnants left behind after a wielder's death.

She leaned back on her heels, holding her arms around her knees.

"Then… why did you? Capture me instead of killing me, I mean?"

From his curled position, he met her eyes. And she had a feeling she knew the answer.

"Because you _cared,_ Aqua. Even if it was fake, even if you only liked Vanitas and hated Void… you made me feel like…"

"Like what?"

"...Like I wasn't a monster," he finished softly, averting his eyes.

"Vanitas…" Light, how was she supposed to feel about him now? Could she really hate him when he was trembling on the ground, baring the part of his heart he hadn't shown as Void _or_ Vanitas?

"That's why I want it to be you to… put an end to me. Not Xehanort. Not Terra, or Ventus… Please, Aqua."

Before she could tell him that _no,_ she wasn't going to kill him—he couldn't make things right if he died; she wouldn't let him out that easily—the ground began to shake. She looked behind her to see a giant plateau rising from the ground towards the heavens. It was eerie, seeing it move but not hearing the rumble, with how her barrier spell blocked sound.

"Void," Vanitas muttered as he sat up.

"What? Are you trying to tell me there's _another_ Void now?"

Just when she thought she couldn't be more confused, his cheeks pinkened.

"No, it's—nevermind. Question time's over. Xehanort's decided to stop waiting."

He sat up and pointed to the top of the plateau, where sure enough, she could make out the tiny silhouette of the hunched man. Standing away from him were Terra and Ven. Cinderella had been left at the base of the pillar, craning her neck to see them.

"I've got to get up there." Aqua scrambled to her feet—only to be stopped by a hand around her wrist.

"Aqua, don't you get it? He's going to _kill you."_

The earnest pain in his expression clawed at her. Maybe she could at least trust that he didn't want her to die. Normally that would be a low bar to reach, but the fact that he'd disobeyed Xehanort's orders to try to save her… It wasn't enough to make her forgive him. But maybe it was enough not to hate him.

"And if I don't try, he'll… he'll kill my friends." She swallowed and peeled his fingers off of her wrist. "I won't let you stop me."

She stepped back, sure that he would still try something, but he just stared after her with a desperate look in his eye. The half of his mask that remained reflected her own worried expression. If Vanitas, who'd been strong enough to kidnap her, was this terrified of Xehanort… did she really stand a chance?

"Wait," he whispered, reaching out to her again before thinking better of it. His fist clenched at his side. "I won't stop you, but… can I help you?"

"You—what?" She blinked. Was he—after everything he'd done to her—

He shrugged. "If you don't kill me, Xehanort's going to. I might as well give him hell first. And… who knows. Maybe we'll actually win."

He didn't sound confident. More resigned, if anything. But she knew from experience that he was a good fighter; they would have a better chance together. If she trusted him.

 _Trust_ was the wrong word. She still didn't trust him, but she could tolerate him. For the sake of her friends.

"...Alright." She nodded, hoping she wouldn't regret this. "We can take my glider—"

She cut off when she heard a bloodcurdling scream. Aqua spun, and her blood ran cold.

Vanitas had held her up for too long.

She was too late.

Ven was falling from the plateau.

 **A/N: I hope this reveal was satisfying! It was kind of surreal writing it after building up to it for so long.**


	16. Saving

**A/N: Welcome to Finale Speedrun Hours, have a comparatively short chapter**

Everything happened so fast. Terra pressing a keychain into her palm—Master Xehanort's cryptic words—the ground surging upwards, knocking her away from her friends—

Standing and staring upwards, only to see Ven falling from the sky.

Cinderella's heart stopped, and before she could think, she was throwing herself into Ven's path. It wouldn't be enough—she wasn't wearing armor, how could she break his fall, he was going to break _her—_

But then the keychain in her hand burst into light.

" _Drift!"_ The word tore from her mouth in a desperate prayer. It came from somewhere deep in her chest, a reserve of power she'd barely brushed before. Had it always been there? The energy buzzing through her felt almost like her healing light, but—

But her healing light couldn't suspend Ven over her head, mere paces above the ground.

"Wh-what?" She gasped at the floating boy. He turned in lazy somersaults as she stared. That seemed to be an effect of the magic rather than his own effort, as he'd been frozen solid again. But—but did that mean she'd done this...?

...And what was she holding high above her head?

"No," she whispered, lowering the gleaming white weapon to her eye level. The polished shaft reflected her wide eyes. "I—I'm not a knight, I couldn't..."

And then, before she could pinch herself to see if she was dreaming _,_ someone was crashing into her back. No, not crashing. Hugging. Just— _very_ tightly. Who would hug her? It couldn't be Terra; he was still on the plateau above.

"You saved him," a girl's voice said breathlessly. "You saved him. Light, _thank you."_

Cinderella pulled herself free and turned to see Terra's other friend—Aqua, he'd said. Her blue eyes were wet and swollen, as if she'd already mourned the friend she'd watched fall.

"I—I don't know what I did," she said honestly, dropping the—the whatever-it-was in her hand. It didn't belong to her.

That didn't stop it from flashing back to her hand as soon as it hit the ground.

"Wait a second, _you_ can use a keyblade now?" Vanitas asked as he caught up to them.

Cinderella stiffened—especially when she saw the exposed part of his face—but the other girl didn't seem alarmed. If anything, she seemed to have anticipated the boy's presence.

"I… suppose so?" Cinderella held up the strange weapon again. Small turrets lined the piece around its handle. The tip bloomed into something resembling a snowflake, or maybe a star. And the keychain dangling from its bottom… was the same one that Terra had handed her.

"I think Terra let me borrow it," she explained. "I'll give it back, I promise."

Vanitas scowled. She was grateful she could see part of his face, even if it didn't bear a pleasant expression. Any face was less scary than that blank mask.

"That's not how keyblades work," he said.

Ven falling the rest of the way to the ground interrupted the questions Cinderella wanted to ask about that matter.

"Auuhhhh…" A low grown came from the back of her friend's throat. Cinderella knelt down beside him, but Aqua was faster.

"Ven, are you okay?" She asked frantically.

"Xehanort _froze_ him _,_ I think it's safe to say he's not okay," Vanitas said. Aqua turned his scowl back on him.

"At least he's alive. No thanks to you."

He bit his lip and turned away, but not before Cinderella saw the pain on his face. He—he wasn't faking again, was he? Aqua seemed to believe him, but Master Xehanort had said—

But Master Xehanort was the one who threw Ven off the cliff. No matter what Terra had believed, the man couldn't be trusted.

(After all, plenty of people had thought her Stepmother wouldn't hurt a child, too.)

"Terra's still up there," Cinderella told Aqua. "He's alone with Xehanort. Can you fly us to the top?"

She didn't know Aqua, but she'd seen her flying contraption—her glider. It was the only way Cinderella could think to reach Terra. She wasn't sure what she could do once she got there, but trying and believing had worked out so far.

"You want to come too?" Aqua asked, surprised.

"Of course. Terra's my friend." Her face warmed, though it was true. He _was_ her friend, even if she loved him more than that.

She just hoped he would live long enough to hear her say it.

The sudden reality of her situation dropped on her. Xehanort had tried to murder a child. Terra was facing him as they spoke. _She_ was asking to help face him. Weapon or no weapon, she wasn't a knight, and this wasn't as simple as standing up to Stepmother or even Vanitas. There was a very likely chance that she, or the people she cared about, could die.

Her hand tightened around the handle of her borrowed weapon. _But I might be able to help save them._

"...Alright." Aqua nodded. "You have a keyblade, and we can use any help we can get. Ven will have to stay here, though. There's no more time to lose."

Ven made some vaguely frustrated noises, and Aqua gave him a sympathetic frown before tossing her keyblade through the air. Just like Terra's had on that fateful night, it returned as a magical glider. Aqua hopped on gracefully. Cinderella lifted her skirts and tried to follow, but dropped her keyblade—Terra's keyblade; it wasn't _hers,_ she shouldn't get used to this—in the process.

"Here." Aqua helped her onto the narrow platform she stood on. "Hold onto the side. This isn't meant for three people, but we'll make it work."

"Alright…" She clutched the gray metal in front of her, nearly losing her grip when the keyblade appeared in her hand _again._ Well, that certainly was convenient.

"You too, Vanitas." Aqua's voice was considerably more intimidating when she spoke to the boy. He hurried quickly to stand on her other side. Cinderella didn't understand; what had Aqua done to make him change his mind about fighting them? Could they really trust him on their side?

It was too late to question it now. Terra needed them.

She held on tightly as Aqua's glider sped up the cliff.

XXX

" _VEN!"_

Before he could dive off the cliff after his friend, Master Xehanort summoned his keyblade and smacked him back. Terra skidded across the ground. The rough surface tore holes in the back of his tailcoat, but it was nothing compared to the hole in his heart.

Aqua had been right. Master Xehanort was a traitor.

" _Why?"_ He cried out as he got to his feet. "Why would you do this?"

Xehanort's grinned in reply. "Let all that anger out, my boy. Give your heart over to darkness!"

" _What?"_ He summoned his own keyblade and armor, helmet included. He didn't know what Xehanort was capable of, but he wasn't about to try to fight the Master in his tattered formal clothes.

"Still so blind. Was destroying your pitiful friend not enough incentive for you?"

No—Terra refused to believe Ven was dead. Even if a fall like that would be too far for his armor to absorb… there was still a chance. It wasn't over until Terra saw for himself.

"I'll never let you hurt my friends!" Terra roared. Red hazed at the corners of his vision. Power bathed Earthshaker's shaft, coated his armor, flooded his veins. But this power… it wasn't right. The violet glow flickered in response to his unease. This—this was what Xehanort wanted, wasn't it?

"Still so _weak!"_ The old Master teleported forward, striking Earthshaker from Terra's hands. "You see how powerless you are to save them? Ventus, Aqua, your precious Princess—each one of them will meet their ends. And then the last light within you will die!"

"No!" He rose again, held out his arm, called forth his keyblade.

This time, when the raging darkness threatened to engulf him, he didn't fight it. It might destroy him—might even turn him into a monster like Vanitas—but there was no choice.

 _Ventus. Aqua. Cinderella._

He _couldn't_ let Xehanort hurt them.

"Leave my friends _alone!"_

Darkness erupted from him. Red burned across his eyes, blurring Xehanort's wide grin.

"Yes, boy, that's it! More! Let your whole heart blacken with anger!"

 _Anger._ The image of Ven frozen and falling to his death replayed in his mind, and the rage overtook him.

XXX

"Terra!" Cinderella dropped off the glider before Aqua had time to land. Her ankle twisted on the landing; she clamped her mouth shut at the pain. One borrowed magic weapon didn't make her a knight. She shouldn't be so reckless.

But seeing Terra locked in battle against his old Master, watching the darkness pouring off of him… Unlike his earlier fight with Vanitas, she had no doubt that Xehanort deserved the justice Terra intended to deliver. There were some people who were too dangerous to be left free.

Still, the violet glow surrounding Terra felt too dangerous—not just to his enemy, but to himself.

"Cin-Cinderella?" His aura flickered when he saw her. She could see one of his eyes through a sharp crack in his visor, and the rest of his armor was already scuffed and dented. "Get out of here! It's not—"

Her feet automatically ran forward when Xehanort called down dark lightning from the gathering clouds. The forking bolts struck inches from Terra's armored boots; sparks jumped to the metal. His leg spasmed in a way that made Cinderella's heart lurch. He still made an effort to run in the direction opposite her—but Xehanort didn't follow.

"Fight me, Xehanort! They're not the ones you want!" His darkness was flaring back with each second that the man ignored him. He tried to draw his attention with a volley of dark projectiles, like Cinderella had seen him use against the Unversed.

Xehanort caught the blasts on the shaft of his blade, sending them ricocheting back. A few caught Terra in the chest, and Cinderella almost cried out—but he barely grunted at the impact. Even damaged as it was, his armor protected him. Cinderella wouldn't have that luxury.

"Ignorant boy. Neither your words nor attacks can save them." Xehanort spun, and suddenly chunks of ice were flying from his blade towards her.

She was _not_ getting frozen again. She dropped to the ground, but Aqua had already leapt in front of her. The ice shattered against a smaller version of her magical barrier.

"Be careful!" she called over her shoulder.

"She's never fought before," Vanitas said, every muscle coiled tight as he stepped forward to stand beside Aqua. "She shouldn't be here. _None_ of us should be here."

Aqua glared at him. "Are you here to fight, or to get in our way?"

He stared ahead at Xehanort. Cinderella saw his throat bob as he swallowed. "Fight."

"Then _fight."_

He only paused for a moment before nodding and running after Xehanort. Aqua took a moment to help Cinderella to her feet.

"Thank you. I'm sorry, I… he's right. I've never fought before. I'm not a knight like you."

Aqua blinked at that. "I'm not—nevermind. I'm sorry you got caught up in this, but I don't think we have a choice anymore."

"I know. I'll try not to get in your way."

"You know magic though, right? Stay back and try some long-range spells. Vanitas, Terra, and I will handle him up close."

"Um, I don't—"

Before Cinderella could explain that she'd only ever used magic on accident, Aqua had already run back into the chaos.

"Magic… right." She frowned at her white keyblade thoughtfully. "What were those words Fairy Godmother used… bippity boppity boo?"

Nothing happened. Of course, fairy magic might be different from whatever she was capable of. She shook her head and gripped the weapon with both hands.

"Come on…" What had she done to save Ven? She'd held the keyblade high, and said… "Drift?"

"Gah!" Vanitas cried out as he suddenly floated and spun in the air. One of Xehanort's strikes shattered the remainder of his mask—and probably would have ended him, if Aqua hadn't been there to force the Master back. Terra was helping too, swinging his keyblade in powerful arcs that Xehanort was forced to block with a hand gloved in darkness.

"I'm sorry!" Cinderella called, desperately wishing that she knew how to aim.

Xehanort was still a teleporting blur between Terra and Aqua; even their combined efforts couldn't hold him off forever. Her floating spell might have been able to hold him still, if she'd been able to catch him with it. She didn't dare try again, though. Vanitas was right. She didn't know what she was doing, and simply believing couldn't solve everything.

She watched with her heart in her throat as the Master knocked Terra and Aqua back with a gusting sweep of his blade. His laugh cut across the battlefield, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Watch closely, Terra. Your friends are about to witness a true Keyblade Master's power."

XXX

That _stupid Princess!_ Why had she insisted on coming? She couldn't fight, she couldn't protect herself—and now she'd trapped Vanitas in a Zero Gravity spell, where he couldn't interfere as Xehanort teleported away from Terra's slashing strike.

For a moment Vanitas was sure he would reappear behind Cinderella. The Princess was important to him, enough to have kept him in the Castle of Dreams for days—but Cinderella wasn't a pressing threat.

And Aqua was.

" _NO!"_ Vanitas screamed as Xehanort flashed behind Aqua and grabbed her by the throat.

He couldn't move _._ No amount of struggling could free him from the Princess' wayward spell.

All he could do was watch in horror as his Master choked the life out of the one person he cared about.

" _Aqua!"_ Terra's darkness flared again, like a bonfire soaked in oil. Stupid, _stupid!_ She'd come here to _save him_ and now Xehanort was going to possess him anyway, her sacrifice would be for _nothing—_

But Xehanort didn't possess the idiot yet. The fingers of his free hand clenched, and earth encased Terra's feet. Then, Xehanort's gaze unexpectedly turned to Vanitas.

"You could have done this yourself, boy. Then I would have given you all you wanted. Ventus. The X-Blade. A chance to be _more!"_

The one consolation of the Zero Gravity spell was that he couldn't flinch at his Master's words. He was wrong, anyway—Vanitas _couldn't_ have the X-Blade. Ventus wasn't strong enough, or Vanitas wasn't _dark_ enough… or Xehanort had lied.

But… even if it was possible… it _wasn't_ all he wanted. Not anymore.

He watched Aqua claw at Xehanort's hand, slash and kick at his legs. When she realized her efforts were useless, the green light of a Cure flickered down her keyblade—but a pulse of darkness from Xehanort's fingers devoured the glow.

Bile rose in Vanitas's throat. That could've been him. It _had_ been him, choking the life from her—she'd screamed then, but now she didn't even have the strength for that. She'd wasted that strength fighting Vanitas twice today; there was no way she would go down like this otherwise.

Right then he'd give anything to have the X-Blade, if only to destroy Xehanort before he could end her.

"Instead, you lied to me," Xehanort rasped. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you _cared_ for her. But a monster cannot care for anything."

His grip tightened. Aqua's eyes rolled back in her head.

And Vanitas snapped.

"I. Am _not._ A _monster!"_

The Zero Gravity spell released him. He landed in a crouch and bolted forward, darkness streaming off of him in waves of half-formed Unversed. Hatred, fear, desperation, _fury._ The emotions didn't matter, so long as they gave him the power to stop Xehanort, to free Aqua before the unthinkable happened.

Because he _did_ care, and he didn't come this far to let Xehanort kill her.

Xehanort dropped Aqua in a crumpled heap and turned to embrace Vanitas's attack. What—?

Terra had broken free; he was flying in on Xehanort's other side. Even Cinderella was rushing towards them. But the old Master was smiling.

That smile remained even as Vanitas's keyblade impaled itself in his stomach.

"I knew you still had some use left in you, boy. At last, the moment is here."

"Xehanort!" Terra snarled, baring his darkness-sheathed keyblade. "It's over!"

The Master laughed as a glowing orb floated from his chest. His heart.

"No, that is where you are wrong. This is only the beginning!"

Vanitas's mouth hung open. Numbness smothered his burgeoning Unversed. He'd known Xehanort's plan, and still he'd played right into it.

The Master had never needed to win. He'd only needed to die, near a vessel sufficiently tainted by darkness.

"Terra, _run!_ " Vanitas screamed. "You're the one he wants!"

" _What—?"_ But Terra still stood there, blazing with darkness. At some point during the fight his visor had cracked, revealing a wide blue eye. If he didn't move, that eye would soon bleed to gold.

Xehanort's heart shot towards him—

XXX

" _No!"_ Cinderella's keyblade fell as she threw herself in front of Terra. Even as his darkness threatened to explode, her arms stretched wide in front of him. She knew that magic orb would strike her back, but she wanted her last moments to be spent facing him.

Terra's eye stared disbelievingly at her through the crack in his visor. "Cin—"

"Shh," she hushed him through her tears. "Terra, I lo—"

The spell struck. It thudded between her shoulder blades, knocking her forward into Terra's arms. Funny, she'd thought a magical orb would shoot right through her, maybe even burn her from the inside out. Instead it felt more like the time Anastasia had lobbed a high-heeled shoe at her.

"Cinderella! Are you okay?" Terra was shaking her. She drew in a sharp breath at his touch; the dark aura surrounding him burned her skin. Slowly it was retreating though, taking her pain with it.

"I'm fine," she said, burying her face in his shoulder. The warm metal wasn't particularly comfortable, but it was _him,_ and he was alright. ...Probably would have been alright if she hadn't jumped in front of the attack, actually. He likely wouldn't have felt the impact through his armor. Why had Vanitas sounded so terrified?

"Of course you are, you're a _Princess."_ Vanitas's voice startled her. "You're lucky. If you were anyone else, you'd be Xehanort's puppet right now."

"His _what?"_ Terra asked, his arms tightening around her. Which she appreciated, but now hardly seemed like the right time. Xehanort certainly had more magic left in him than that one spell; what if he—

"No matter."

Still encircled by Terra's arms, she spun at the old Master's voice. His body had become translucent—what kind of magic did that?—but he still wore that same eerie smile. He stretched out a twisted hand, and the orb that had struck her returned to his palm.

"Terra was just one of many roads that I could choose to take. Trust me. I made certain of that."

Cinderella saw Vanitas's eyes widen, and then the orb sped towards him.

XXX

Vanitas took everything back. Dying would have been better than this. If Xehanort stole his body, paraded around in his skin, used his hands to destroy Aqua, while he was forced to watch helplessly from the inside—

He ran. He wouldn't be fast enough, but _Void,_ he wasn't just going to stand there.

Two strides. Three strides. Four. Surely it should've hit by now. What game was Xehanort playing? His Master didn't make mistakes. He didn't show weakness, or mercy. Was he just waiting for Vanitas to turn so he'd see his Master's sick enjoyment as his body was taken over, his limbs no longer obeying his commands—?

He couldn't take it. He stopped and turned.

And saw Aqua kneeling, her hand outstretched to hold a barrier around Xehanort's glowing heart.

"Aqua!" She was _alive conscious breathing_ and she'd _saved him how—?_

" _You,"_ she growled at Xehanort. His physical form was fading quickly, dimming with each second that his heart spent separated from it. "How _dare_ you hurt my friends."

Vanitas's chest warmed. Was he included in those friends? ...Probably not. Saving him was a side effect of stopping Xehanort, nothing more.

For the first time, the Master's composure flickered. A sneer curled his lips.

"You think you can stop me with a measly Barrier? I have prepared my whole life for this—"

Her eyes narrowed in grim determination. "And I've prepared the last five seconds for _this_."

She closed her fist, imploding her barrier—and collapsing Xehanort's heart.

His body froze. Flickered like a shadow succumbing to the first ray of sunlight. But his snarling face was more terrifying than ever.

"You… if my pathetic apprentice had killed you like he was supposed to…"

Vanitas flinched, as if even now his Master would stretch out his hand to deliver punishment.

"But he didn't." Aqua's jaw was set firmly. Despite what the Master had done to her, no fear shone in her eyes. "Goodbye, Xehanort."

The last remnants of his shattered heart floated upward. His body dissolved like static, until there was no trace of the man Vanitas had feared for so long.

He stumbled forward, passing his hand through the space where Xehanort had been. Nothing. Sweet, empty _nothing._

"He's… he's gone," he breathed. "He's really gone."

No more torturous training. No more threat of electrocution or scarring upon failure. No more… _anything._

He collapsed to his knees, Unversed of exhaustion threatening to pour from him. He grit his teeth and reigned them in. He might still need the strength. Xehanort was gone, but that didn't mean Terra and Aqua would let him live.

He'd asked her to kill him. She hadn't refused.

When he felt her kneel beside him and wrap her arms around his neck, he was sure it was an attempt to strangle him. It would be a fitting retribution, after what she'd suffered at his and Xehanort's hands. But her now-armorless grip was too loose, too soft. And she was shaking as much as he was.

"He's gone, Vanitas," she whispered near his ear. "You're safe now."

...Safe? What did safe feel like?

Tears fell onto her bare shoulder as he leaned into her non-fatal embrace. She was… hugging him. Why? Didn't she hate him for lying to her?

"You're… not going to kill me?"

Her laugh came out mixed with a sob. She was crying too?

"No. No one's going to kill you."

His shoulders shook with the tears he no longer held back. Her hand ran through his hair, just as gentle as when she'd thought he was a normal boy. She wasn't going to hurt him. No one was going to hurt him.

As his trembling arms reached up to wrap around her back, he thought maybe safe felt like this.

 **A/N: rest in fricking pieces xehanort. I hope you rot in hell**

 **Next chapter: characters will actually have time to TALK TO EACH OTHER! Yay!**

 **There was probably something else i meant to write here but. Its midnight. Goodnight**

 **Friendly reminder that if you comment i would probably die for you**


	17. Comforting

**A/N: I'm about to go to work so not a lot of notes this time, but I did want to say thank you for the massive support on the last few chapters! You guys are awesome and I'm so grateful that you've taken the time to read this fic that could come across as a pretty crackish concept. Anyway this isn't the last chapter, not sure how many are left, probably 2-3 depending on some things.**

Xehanort was dead. She'd only met him twice. Yet twice was enough for her to believe he'd deserved it.

The boy crying in her arms was proof enough.

Aqua buried her face in Vanitas's neck, hoping that his dark suit was water-resistant. Not that she should care—he'd already seen her cry; _he_ was crying, she could feel the wet drops on her bare shoulder. It reminded her of their last hug, though there had been no tears then. She had comforted him then too, though she hadn't known why he was so upset.

Now, she thought she understood.

She ran a hand through his hair, calming herself as much as him. The repetitive action gave her something to cling to. Something that wasn't turning around and facing Terra, who would surely recognize the hypocrisy of her actions. She'd practically disowned him when she'd thought he killed Vanitas, and now she'd murdered the person he'd trusted.

No, not just murdered. Crushed his _heart._ Even if he had to die… did she really have to destroy him like that? She didn't know much about the afterlife, but she was pretty sure one's heart had to be intact to reach it. Not that she felt Xehanort deserved an afterlife, after what he'd tried to do to Ven, to the rest of them—but was that a decision she had the authority to make?

She'd known being a Master would mean making difficult decisions, but… she hadn't imagined it would be like _this._

"Aqua?" Vanitas whispered, his breath ghosting over her back in a way that made her shiver. "Are you… are you okay? He didn't take your light, did he?"

"No." She shut her eyes. Her nose was still stuffy from crying; she wondered if she'd be disgusted by Vanitas's scent otherwise.

"No, you're not okay, or no, he didn't steal your light?"

"...No." Against her better judgement, she squeezed him tighter. She was supposed to be a Master; she wasn't supposed to need help. She had been trying to comfort _him,_ how had it gotten turned around? Besides, she wasn't even sure she'd forgiven him. She wasn't sure what she felt at all.

"Hey… you're safe, too." He awkwardly patted her back. "He can't hurt you again. And I won't hurt you again, either, Aqua, I—I'm so sorry, I was such an _idiot,_ I thought if I scared you you wouldn't try to escape and he wouldn't find you—"

"Vanitas, no, it's not that." She swallowed. "I get it now, I think. We all… we all have to make hard choices."

He'd made costly decisions too. He couldn't judge her. Maybe that's why she was here, trusting him with this.

"I'm not going to regret this one," she whispered. "Even if I should."

His hand froze on her back. "You mean… not killing me?"

"No!" Her fingers clenched in his hair, drawing out a hiss. "Sorry, I—Vanitas, I _don't_ want to kill you. Please believe that. It's Xehanort. He's the one I don't regret killing."

Her arms shook. Tentatively Vanitas's hand began to trace soothing circles on her back, and she couldn't help thinking how nice it would feel, if they were anywhere else, anyone else, under any other circumstances.

"I've never hated anyone so much," she admitted in a small voice. "I _wanted_ him to suffer. Not just because he hurt me, but—I heard what you said. As I was trying to regain consciousness, what was going to happen to Terra, or—or to you…"

Her words weren't making sense. She couldn't string them together right; she wasn't sure she wanted to. She'd been so, so _scared,_ and angry, and…

"Aqua…"

"I have darkness in me, too," she mumbled into his collarbone. "That's why you couldn't use my light. I never had enough of it. I never deserved to be a Master."

A true Master wouldn't have gotten kidnapped, and choked into unconsciousness _twice,_ and felt so much anger and rage that she remorselessly _crushed a heart_.

Vanitas pushed her lightly, and she fell back onto her heels. "Aqua, _stop."_

"It's _true—"_

"No, it's _not."_ His golden eyes bore into hers. "You're not a Princess, and you're not Ventus. Of _course_ you have some darkness in you."

She blinked at that— _Ven_ didn't have darkness? How was that fair?—but Vanitas kept talking.

"What you did—Void, Aqua, you saved _all of us._ If Xehanort had taken over Terra's body, or mine, he would've been strong enough to kill us all." He swallowed, shivered, wrapped his arms around himself. "You _shouldn't_ regret that. You're more of a Master than he ever was."

"I… thanks." She wasn't sure it was much of a compliment, since Xehanort had been dark enough to try to _murder children,_ but her face warmed anyway. "Still… I shattered his heart. I can't help thinking I should feel… I don't know. I've never… killed anyone before. I didn't think it would feel like this."

"Like what?"

She wished he was in her arms again, where he couldn't stare into her eyes. If he looked long enough, she was sure he would find darkness swirling beneath them. What else could explain how empty she felt?

"Like… _nothing._ It was so easy." Her arms wrapped around her knees. "I think that's what scares me."

"I guess I wouldn't know," he mumbled. "I've never killed anyone. But I did want to."

Aqua dug her fingernails into her knee, frowning at the tiny crescents they left behind. It was easier than looking back at him, bonding over a mutual desire to destroy.

"I thought you might understand," she said softly, then asked what she really wanted to know. "So you think I did the right thing?"

"I think it doesn't matter what I think. You're a better person than I could ever hope to be, Aqua. You know right from wrong. If you don't feel guilty, it's for a good reason."

She didn't know about that. After today, she hardly felt like she could understand her heart, much less trust it.

"If it makes you feel better though, I think Xehanort got _exactly_ what he deserved. Do you know what he did to me and Ventus?"

Brief flashes of words came back to her. _Just like he'd never shatter a kid's heart, right?_

"What did he do?" She asked, afraid she already knew the answer.

His gaze flickered downwards. He suddenly seemed smaller than ever, and then he took a deep breath, looked at her with his face set in determination.

"You already know I'm Void, and you know I'm Vanitas. I guess you might as well know that I'm Ven."

His voice wavered on the name. _Ven,_ not Ventus. She'd never heard him call her friend by his nickname. It sounded too soft coming from his lips.

"You're— _that's_ what you meant?" She gasped at the realization. It didn't make any sense, but neither had the rest of this day. After all, she hadn't thought people could transplant their dying hearts into other vessels, either.

"Yeah. The Ventus you know now is the other half of our heart."

She remembered how Ven had looked when Xehanort first brought him to the Land of Departure. His blank, glassy eyes. The way he'd collapsed when Terra had tried to ask him about himself.

"But… you look nothing alike." She wasn't sure what prompted her to say that. Maybe she just didn't want to believe it was true, even though the facts she knew seemed to line up.

He scowled like that hit a sore spot and touched his cheek. "He kept our face. I don't know why I look like this."

"It's okay. I mean, I still believe you," she said quickly, swallowing the part of her that wanted to deny it. Besides, she remembered Vanitas's handwriting, how it had looked so familiar—well, now she realized why. It was the spitting image of Ven's.

"And it's not a bad thing," she found herself rambling at his uneasy silence. "You don't look bad. I mean—you're—ugh."

"Handsome?" He asked with a shadow of a grin.

She dropped her forehead onto her knees, hiding her read face. She'd walked right into that one. Unfortunately, that compliment she'd given him was still true. Not that it mattered. Her heart was conflicted enough without dragging thoughts like that into the mix.

"Don't go getting a big head about it," she muttered into her knees. But she couldn't help a grin when he laughed.

"Hey, you said it, not me."

She had half a mind to tell him to shut up and tell her what he meant about Xehanort splitting him and Ven—but then again, he sounded happier now. And she didn't feel as bad either. There would be plenty of time for answers later, once they… well, she wasn't entirely sure what they would do with Vanitas. Take him back to the Land of Departure, she guessed. With Xehanort gone, he probably didn't have anywhere else to go.

"Technically you said it now." She smirked, lifting her head a little.

"But you didn't deny it." He mirrored her expression.

She rolled her eyes and looked away—only to see what Terra and Cinderella had gotten up to while she and Vanitas had been talking.

"What?" Vanitas's eyes followed the line of her sight, and he laughed.

"Looks like someone thinks your friend's handsome."

XXX

Terra couldn't believe it. He'd apparently had the power to see the future after all—and it had been completely _useless._

He'd watched Vanitas strike, but had no idea that he would end up fighting alongside him. He'd seen Aqua fall to her knees, but not Xehanort strangling her beforehand. And he'd seen Cinderella face a terrible darkness, but never expected that it would be his own.

His throat clenched at the realization. He could've hurt her, even if Xehanort's heart hadn't. Her arms still bore tiny burn marks where his darkness had touched her skin. Yet she still remained in his arms, even after Xehanort's heart was… well, gone.

"Terra… what… what just happened?" Cinderella asked, turning back to face him.

It was a question he was still asking himself. He hadn't known that what Aqua had done was possible. Shattering a heart like that...

His gaze flickered over to her, but she had her back to him as she clung to Vanitas. Surprising as that was, he was more shocked by how tenderly the boy hugged her back. Maybe Xehanort had lied about Vanitas's nature on top of everything else.

Rage still burned under his skin at how badly he'd been tricked, and how badly his friends had almost been hurt because of it. But that rage was what had almost doomed him in the first place… what was he supposed to do with it, if he couldn't let it out?

Too many questions. Better to focus on the one answer he knew.

"Xehanort's gone. He can't hurt us now." Terra looked away, and his eyes fell on the keyblade lying on the ground. Bright white, decorated with little towers, a shoe hanging from its keychain. His brow furrowed. That was the keyblade Cinderella had held, right? But did that mean he'd…?

Of course it did. There was only one way she would've been able to summon a keyblade on her own. Master Eraqus was going to have him scrubbing floors for weeks for this.

"I'm sorry I used it without asking," Cinderella blurted. "I didn't mean to. One second I was holding the keychain you gave me, and the next Ven was falling—"

"Ven!" His hands clamped on her upper arms. "Is he okay? Is he—?"

"He's fine," she said quickly, placing her bare hands over his armored ones and loosening his grip. Right. He let go and disengaged his armor. That left him in his tattered formal clothes, but at least his armor wouldn't scrape her.

"He is? Really? Because Xehanort dropped him and—"

"I caught him." Her face pinked. "I'm not sure how, but your… keyblade was in my hand, and I used some sort of spell. It stopped him from falling all the way. He's probably still frozen down there, though…"

She frowned, not noticing Terra staring in awe.

"You caught him," he echoed.

More red flooded her face; she bit her lip. "Um, well, the keyblade did. I think it knew what it was doing more than I did."

As if to prove her point, it suddenly flashed from the ground to her hand, drawing a startled gasp out of her.

Right then Terra didn't care how the keyblade had chosen her, or how she'd used magic. She'd saved his best friend. Light, he could kiss her right now.

 _...What?_ His face burned at the thought, but he hid it by pulling her into a tight hug.

" _Thank you,"_ he breathed into her hair, which had fallen out of its handkerchief somewhere along the way. "I can never repay you for this."

"Terra, you don't owe me anything."

She stabbed the white keyblade into the ground before returning the hug. Where her hands brushed skin through the tears in his clothes, scratches healed. The extra magic from becoming a keyblade wielder seemed to have strengthened her natural Cure.

"Cinderella, I owe you _everything._ You saved Ven's life. You saved _my_ life. Anything I can give you, anything you want. It's yours."

It was a ridiculous offer—what could he give her? He wasn't a real knight. He wasn't a Keyblade Master. He didn't even have that much munny, really. He was just… Terra.

Just Terra, the boy she'd risked her life for.

She lifted her head, making him pull back slightly. "No. I don't want anything because you feel like you owe me."

"Then how about because I want to?" He asked, searching her eyes. Maybe she knew he didn't have much to give. Maybe she didn't want anything to do with him, after going through an ordeal like this. He wouldn't blame her.

"Terra…" She looked down, lacing her fingers in front of her. "What I want… I don't think I'm allowed to ask for."

He frowned. "Why not? You're a keyblade wielder now. I can tell you anything, everything. You want to know about other worlds? Or—"

"No, it's not—wait, what? I'm not a—I'm not what you are." Her eyes flickered to the keyblade sticking out of the dirt. "It's yours, isn't it? I just borrowed it. I don't know how I even…"

"You summoned it. It _is_ yours, now. And, uh, that's probably my fault." Terra ran a hand through his hair, smiling hesitantly. "I gave you the keychain. I didn't say the Words, but with light like yours, I bet the keyblade thought you were an obvious choice."

"You think it… _chose_ me?"

He nodded. "Masters can pass down the chance to wield the keyblade, but in the end it comes down to the strength of the candidate's heart. Just like the Words say."

Her head tilted. Of course, she didn't know what Words he was talking about. But he could fix that.

He drew her keyblade— _Stroke of Midnight,_ the name whispered to his heart—and held it lengthwise across his hands.

"In your hand, take this key," he began in his most official voice. "So long as you have the makings, then through this simple act of taking, its wielder you shall one day be."

He looked up to find her eyes watering. Slowly her fingers clasped around the keyblade's handle.

He cleared his throat and continued the rite.

"And you will find me, friend—no ocean will contain you then. No more borders around, or below, or above…"

He swallowed, his voice going low at the knowledge of the words that came next.

"...So long as you champion the ones you love."

He felt his mouth go dry as her eyes held his. Loose strands of her hair wisped around her face. Her clothes were disheveled and smeared with dirt too, but he was smarter than when they'd first met.

He didn't need to see her in a shimmering dress to know she was beautiful.

"I, so, uh. Yeah." He swallowed, waiting for her to take the keyblade. But instead she stepped closer, pinning the blade between them.

"I like the sound of that." She smiled up at him. "I did tell you I might have to become a knight someday."

"Uh. I guess you did." He vaguely remembered the conversation, but under the shine of her smile and the closeness of… all of her, his thoughts were going a little bit fuzzy.

"No more borders around, or below, or above…" She repeated the phrase from the rite. "Does that mean I could go with you? Anywhere?"

He nodded, not trusting his mouth to speak coherently.

"And… would you want me to?"

"Yes," he said immediately. Did she really have to ask?

Her face lit up. She threw her arms around his neck, crushing Stroke of Midnight against his stomach. He winced when some of the spiked towers near the hilt dug into his ribs, but she didn't seem to notice.

"I love you," she said breathlessly. "I love you Terra. I was so afraid you were going to die and I wouldn't get to tell you—"

She might have still been talking, but his brain had shut down at some point after the second _I love you._

She loved him. Light, she _actually loved him._

The joy he felt at those three words was enough to confirm what he'd forced himself to ignore for too long.

His hands moved to pull the keyblade from between them and toss it aside. "Cinderella."

He placed his hands on her waist and gently pushed her back. Her face was bright pink when he bent down to lean his forehead against hers. He heard her breath hitch.

"I've, uh, never done this before, but... I love you too."

Her smile was the most beautiful thing in the worlds. Why she thought he was deserving of it, he didn't know. He'd screwed up in front of her so many times. He still hadn't gained complete control of his darkness.

But she loved him anyway.

"Well. You'd never been to a ball before either, and that seemed to turn out alright," she said with the same wryness she'd turned on him the first time they met. He found his heart beating a little faster, and he grinned.

"Heh. I guess it did."

She chuckled, and her warm breath spread across his face.

"So Terra, on your world, does the knight ever kiss the princess, or does she have to—"

He sealed his lips over hers.

XXX

"So _that's_ why you guys never came back for me. I see how it is."

Ven tried to keep a scowl on his face when Terra and Cinderella broke apart, both flushing bright red.

"Uh, we—we were just—" Terra spluttered like he'd been caught stealing the last scoop of ice cream. Man, it was tough not to laugh. He couldn't wait to tease him about this later. _Not my girlfriend, suuuuure._

"Wait, what in the light is _that?"_ Terra disentangled one of his hands from Cinderella's hair to point at the giant pumpkin Unversed Ven was riding on this side of.

"This guy?" He patted the side of the grinning pumpkin. "I don't really know, but he picked me up when I was still half-frozen." He shook his free arm and leg stiffly before hopping off the side of the Unversed. "Thanks, buddy."

" _Buddy?"_ Vanitas asked from where he was sitting by Aqua. What were _those_ two doing so close together? Last Ven had seen, she'd looked ready to stab his dark half if he breathed wrong.

That was still a weird thought. Dark half. While laying there frozen and useless, though, he'd had plenty of time to replay the vision-memory, and he couldn't deny it: Vanitas had once been a part of him.

So Ven grinned at his other half. "He didn't try to kill me, and he carried me up the cliff. So. Buddy." He patted the Unversed again, and it bounced on its vine-wheels.

"You—you can't just—!" Vanitas sputtered, but Aqua calmed him with a hand on his shoulder.

"The Unversed are made of your emotions. If you really wanted to hurt Ven, it wouldn't have helped him, would it?"

Vanitas absorbed the Unversed, then muttered something under his breath that made Aqua laugh. Okay, now _that_ was even weirder. How long had Ven been frozen?

"You know, I'm glad everyone's getting along, but uh, where's Xehanort?"

Aqua froze up like he'd shot _her_ with Blizzard. Vanitas squeezed her hand. Cinderella turned back towards Terra and bit her lip.

"You didn't let him get away, did you?" Ven asked with wide eyes. He'd been _terrified,_ so sure he was going to die when he hit the ground. And that wasn't even the worst thing Xehanort had done. If he was still out there—

"No," Aqua said, standing and almost-stepping towards him. Vanitas still clung to her hand, but that didn't seem to be what was holding her back. "I… I killed him."

"Oh." Ven blinked. She'd taken down another Master? That was… _wow_. Of course she was a Master herself; he shouldn't be so surprised. "So he's gone? Like, for good?"

"That's usually what 'dead' means." Vanitas rolled his eyes.

Aqua nodded. "I hope you can understand. I had to stop him, no matter the cost."

"Huh? Aqua, of course I get it! Xehanort was _evil."_ He guessed she didn't know what his old Master had done to him, or the terrifying plans he'd heard in his memory. "He was going to destroy _all the worlds_ , did you know that? He wanted me and Vanitas to be some kind of—"

"X-Blade," Vanitas interrupted, crossing his fingers for the _X._ "Super powerful weapon. Supposed to open Kingdom Hearts to start another Keyblade War. You remember now?"

"Well… I didn't remember _all_ of that. Just that it must be something awful."

Mostly he remembered the emotions he'd felt in his memory—so much fear. Just thinking about the X-Blade had scared him to death. And a Keyblade War… why would anyone want that?

"I know Xehanort had to die, but I didn't think…" Aqua's eyes flickered over to Terra. "I'm sorry. I guess I was afraid you two wouldn't understand."

"Aqua," Terra stepped forward, Cinderella following behind. "We were _all_ willing to do what you did. You just happened to do it first. You saved our lives."

Tears sprung to her eyes. Vanitas stood and punched her lightly in the arm.

"What did I tell you? Your friends might be idiots, but they're not _that_ stupid."

"Hey!" Ven and Terra said in unison, but Vanitas just grinned, daring them to challenge him.

Terra let out a long breath through his nose. "Watch your step, Vanitas. I still don't trust you."

Vanitas rubbed the back of his neck, beneath the weird metal part of his helmet that remained even though his mask was gone. "Fair enough. I… didn't really expect to live long enough for that to matter."

There was an awkward silence at that. Then Aqua squeezed his hand.

"We're going to work on that. Both the trusting and the living."

Terra raised an eyebrow at Ven, silently asking, _So how did this happen?_ Or maybe, _You really expect me to trust him?_

In response to the first possibility, Ven shrugged. As for the second…

"He's a part of me," he said quietly. "He didn't lie about that."

Terra's eyes widened, and Ven stared down at the ground. Terra wouldn't think less of him because of his connection to Vanitas, right? It wasn't like he _asked_ to be split apart… It did make him wonder what he was like before, though. He knew he had their original face, but only a few memories. Did Vanitas have the rest of them?

"You believe me now?" Vanitas dropped Aqua's hand and stepped closer to Ven.

"Well, yeah. We saw the same vision, right?"

"Memory," he corrected.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I had a lot of time to think about it while I was frozen down there." He grinned crookedly, but Vanitas didn't smile at the joke. Ven wondered if his darker half could smile at all. "I thought about what you said, too. About, uh, wanting to be human."

Vanitas grimaced at the ground. "I'm guessing you're not going to offer your half of our heart back."

Ven blinked. Was that supposed to be a joke? Maybe their sense of humor had been split, too. "Uh, no."

"His half—?"

Vanitas rolled his eyes. "Yes, Terra, his _half._ We used to be Xehanort's apprentice; the old geezer ripped us in two. I already told Aqua. Keep up."

"How was I supposed to know that?" Terra huffed, throwing his hands in the air. "This would all be a lot easier if you guys ever told me anything!"

"We can catch each other up on later," Aqua promised. "I still don't know everything, either."

"I think I'm starting to get it though." Ven placed a hand over his chest, frowning. "That's why you wanted to fight. You wanted my heart back."

He'd never felt like half of a heart. Not that he had any memories of being whole to compare it to… but maybe Vanitas did.

"Yeah," he admitted quietly. "Plus our union would've forged the X-Blade. We could've taken out Xehanort easy with that."

"I don't get it." Ven's brow scrunched as he stared at Vanitas. "If you wanted Xehanort gone, why did you work with him? And why were you spreading the Unversed everywhere?"

"I didn't know what Xehanort did to us until I fought you. I think the memory was stuck inside you, somehow. Anyway, it's not like I had a choice. You're not the first person he's frozen and chucked off a cliff."

Another awkward silence. Ven hadn't really wanted to feel bad for his other half, but it was getting hard not to. The four of them besides Vanitas exchanged stares, seeming to come to the same conclusion.

"...You _do_ know that's not normal, right?" Ven asked, and Vanitas bristled.

"I do _now,"_ he spat. "But not all of us got a Master who actually _cares_ , or friends who would protect you, or—" His mouth snapped shut, and his face flushed.

"What?"

"...Or light," he admitted. His hands clenched so tightly they shook. "You never knew how lucky you were. Your friends loved you _so freaking much!_ I could always feel it! And you just—you didn't even remember I existed!"

Ven would never have expected the hurt on his other half's face. He came closer, wondering if he would accept a hug or if that would make things worse. Better not risk it yet.

"I hated you for it." Vanitas quieted again. "I wanted you to hurt. Like I did."

Terra looked like he might interject at that, but Cinderella squeezed his arm and he looked away. Thankfully they were angled behind Vanitas, so he didn't notice.

"I don't hate you," Ven said, and was surprised to find that he meant it. What Vanitas had done was wrong, but… that could've so easily been _him._ What if Xehanort had kept him, and sent Vanitas to Master Eraqus? Would he have done the same thing?

Would he have even _survived?_

"You—" Vanitas looked ready to snarl again before confusion swept over his face. "Wait, you don't? But—I attacked you and your friends—"

"I'm not saying I forgive you," he clarified quickly, raising his hands.

Vanitas deflated a little. It was almost funny; he'd looked so scary before. Now he just reminded Ven of himself.

Aqua stepped forward to put a hand on his shoulder. "We can get there, Vanitas. Do you want to fix your mistakes?"

He looked up at her earnestly. " _Can_ I? I'm not like all of you. Ven's not going to give my light back. I'm not going to take yours either."

"I don't think that you need light to want to change," Cinderella said, startling Vanitas. He seemed to have forgotten that she and Terra were there.

He shook his head. "You're a Princess. All you _are_ is light. How would you know?"

"Well, I know that I _can_ make mistakes. I'm not better than you simply because I have a heart of light."

"She's right," Ven agreed. "If you're all dark, then I'm all light too, right? And I've done _lots_ of things I wasn't supposed to." _Like leaving home to chase Terra._ Not that he regretted that, so maybe it wasn't the best example. "If I can do stuff like that, then you've gotta be able to change!"

Vanitas snorted. "Excuse me if I don't believe you. You've never done anything as wrong as what I did." His eyes fell. "I kidnapped Aqua. I tried to scare her on purpose, even when I didn't have to. I sent the Unversed to destroy Cinderella's house. I lured Terra into Xehanort's trap, and he almost got his body stolen. _I attacked every one of you."_

He took a deep breath as darkness wisped from him. Was that a Flood's head trying to form out of it? It receded back into Vanitas's chest before Ven could tell for sure. His hand covered the spot on his chest, like he could plug up the hole where the Unversed had been.

"So don't pretend whatever stupid mistakes you made were like _that."_

Ven looked at the ground. When he put it that way, it was easy to think he shouldn't be forgiven. But hadn't he helped fight Xehanort, too? Didn't that count for something?

"Mine were," Terra whispered before Ven could voice his thoughts. "I stole a girl's heart. Er—literally."

He coughed and ducked his head when Cinderella looked at him in confusion.

"Uh. I guess I never told you about that."

"You can tell me later," Cinderella said quietly.

"It's okay," Ven reassured her and Aqua anyway. "I got it back. Everything's fine."

Terra sighed heavily. "Maybe it is fine now, but it wasn't then. I really messed up… but it means I get what you're going through, Vanitas." He looked up to hold Vanitas's curious gaze. "You don't know if you can change. You think maybe because you have darkness, you're stuck like this. Maybe you think you'll to screw up no matter how hard you try."

"Shut up," Vanitas hissed quietly, swiping the back of his hand over his eyes. "You don't… you don't know..."

"You're afraid," Terra continued. Ven was surprised to see him crouch down next to Vanitas. "I was afraid too. It's okay."

"Why are you even talking to me?" Vanitas asked. "You don't trust me. Why would you help me?"

"I know what's it like. I just don't want you to feel like there's no one to turn to."

"Terra…" Aqua frowned in sympathy. Had Ven and her made him feel that way? Was that why he'd left the Land of Departure without saying goodbye? Ven hoped he knew better by now. They wouldn't leave him, no matter what.

Terra shrugged. "Plus Aqua cares about you. So I don't think we're getting rid of you anytime soon."

Ven could tell that Terra's smile was forced, but hopefully Vanitas wouldn't know that. It must be hard for Terra to trust him after everything Xehanort did—but he made a good point. Ven couldn't understand what it was like to have darkness, the way Terra did. He really hoped they could help each other.

Vanitas stared at the four of them, searching for something in their faces. Ven didn't know what, but he seemed to find it, because he laughed. _Laughed._ It sounded like a pressure valve releasing.

"We'll see," he said. "We'll see."


	18. Sleeping

**A/N: Wooo feels like it's been a while, hasn't it? I've been working on some other fandom fics, but coming back to KH always feels like coming home.**

They still wanted to take him to their Master. He wasn't sure if the emphasis should be on the fact that he was going to see Eraqus, or the fact that they _wanted_ him. That still sounded too good to be true. No, he was useless now. Just a shadow without the light to cast it. Why would they want to keep him around?

Unless they were afraid of letting him go free. His Unversed were still dangerous. _He_ was still dangerous. They were going to take him to their Master and he would see that, he'd kill him before he ever had a chance to explain—

Aqua hugged him. Her armor dug into his shoulder, but that couldn't be helped while he was seated in front of her on the glider.

"You're shaking," she said near his ear. The sound was still distorted through her helmet and the odd acoustics of the Lanes Between.

"You don't have to point it out," he muttered, willing himself to be still. Frankly she was just lucky he'd managed to contain his Unversed so far. Of course, he had a large incentive _not_ to let his monsters near the girl who was flying them over an endless abyss.

"It's okay, Vanitas. You're safe."

" _He's gone, Vanitas. You're safe now."_

He wanted to believe her. Void, he wanted to believe. He was so _tired_ of coming up with one reckless plan after another, just trying to survive. Well, not _just_ trying to survive. He'd tried to protect her, too.

And… it had worked. Against all odds, they were both here. They were both okay.

At least until they got to Master Eraqus.

"I'd feel safer if you hold onto the handlebars," he said in the calmest voice he could manage. It helped that his mask was back on.

He regretted his comment when Aqua's arms left him, bracing themselves on either side to steer the glider again. He should've taken advantage of her touch; this might be the last time he got to feel it.

After all, he'd have to escape before she took him to the light-crazed Master.

The flight was much longer than a trip through the dark corridors, but still shorter than he'd hoped. He hadn't planned how he was going to say goodbye. If he even _should_ say goodbye. He'd been too busy soaking in the scent of her light, the blend of honeysuckle and cold rain.

His half-heart twinged. Did he really have to leave? Terra had almost sounded _sincere_ in his desire to help him. Ventus didn't hate him. And Aqua… she'd held him like he was a normal boy again.

It didn't matter. They might come to accept him, but their Master never would. He couldn't trust another Master, especially not one who'd pushed Terra away because of his darkness.

(But Aqua was a Master, too.)

 _She's different,_ he rationalized.Eraqus was friends with _Xehanort_. How could Vanitas trust someone who'd let his old Master get away with what he'd done?

He nearly jumped when Aqua's arm wrapped around his middle.

"Hold on tight. I'm taking us down."

She followed Terra and Ventus's gliders in a shallow dive towards the Land of Departure. His stomach turned, though he couldn't tell if it was from the acceleration or just his mounting nervousness. Did he have one last reckless plan in him?

The Land of Departure had the nerve to be bright and sunny. Surrounded by water and lush mountains, it was in every way the paradise the Keyblade Graveyard had never been. What would it be like to go swimming in those lakes, like he had at the beach in Twilight Town a lifetime ago? And those forests would be dark and safe, with plenty of trees he could hide in—

 _No, no! You're not staying here!_ He was just waiting for an opening, a moment when the other keyblade wielders had their backs turned, and then he'd open a dark corridor and go…

Where? It didn't matter, really. Somewhere he could steal food, and maybe a bed. Not the Castle of Dreams, since the king would probably have better security by now. Maybe the Dwarf Woodlands. Those tiny people gave a bed to a random girl walking in the woods. Maybe he would get lucky too… or not, because unlike that girl, he wasn't a heart full of light and rainbows. He was darkness—and darkness didn't get to have a safe place to call home.

"Hey," Aqua said quietly. "We're here."

The glider had stopped a few inches above the ground. Aqua hadn't dismounted yet—but that was probably because he was still sitting practically in her lap.

He scrambled off, and her glider and armor dissolved in a shower of sparks. Terra and Ven were dismissing their armor and gliders too. Cinderella, who'd ridden with Terra, hadn't worn any armor, but she was a Princess of Heart. The darkness of the Lanes Between couldn't touch her.

The Princess turned in a slow circle, her mouth hanging open as she stared up at the surrounding rock outcroppings and the castle they were chained to.

"Terra, this is _amazing."_

Vanitas shrugged. Thankfully his mask hid his own wide-eyed staring. "It's alright, I guess."

"It's home," Terra said modestly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"The mice will love it. If your Master will allow them to come…"

"I'm sure he will."

Vanitas snorted. Maybe Eraqus would. He was more likely to welcome rodent pests than a heart of pure darkness, at least.

"Come on," Ventus called, grabbing onto Vanitas's arm. Since when did he think thatwas a good idea? "You're coming in, right? You should take that off so you don't look so scary." He pointed to Vanitas's face—his mask.

He winced, not that Ventus could tell. "Yeah, no." No _way_ was he letting them drag him to a light-crazy Master with his face unprotected.

Not that he planned on letting them take him to Eraqus at all.

Aqua frowned. "Ven has a point, Vanitas. I think the Master might take… well, I just think it'll be easier for you if he can see your face."

The hesitation in her voice only confirmed his fears. He wasn't sure that now was the right time to tell her that her Master wasn't going to see his mask _or_ his face. But since he didn't plan on seeing Eraqus anyway, he guessed removing the mask wouldn't hurt.

He sighed and melted away the glass, scowling as the sun hit his eyes. "There. Happy?"

Aqua just laughed at that. His heart skipped a beat at the sound. ...Maybe it would be better for his health to be separated from it.

"Alright, let's go!" Ventus grinned and tugged his arm again. "The sooner you talk to the Master, the sooner you can tell me what you remember about us."

This time Vanitas's wince was on full display. Talking about their past was the last thing he wanted to do right now. Those memories were _personal,_ the only things that were still his own.

Except they weren't.

"Vanitas?" Aqua asked at his expression. "Give him some space, Ven. He's been through a lot today—we all have."

How did she do it? She was just so… so _nice,_ after everything he'd done to her. He didn't deserve this.

And she didn't deserve to face her Master's wrath for bringing a heart of darkness to their doorstep.

He swallowed and looked away. "You're right. I just, uh, need some space for a moment. You go ahead. I'll meet you inside."

Aqua paused, staring at him. Taking off the mask was a stupid idea. Without it, she was going to see right through him.

"You heard him, Ven. Terra and Cinderella went in already, didn't they? Why don't you catch up with them?"

Ventus's head swiveled between the two of them. "Um, okay. I'll just… do that."

Vanitas let out a sigh of relief as he dashed off. His pounding footsteps echoed across the courtyard, almost as loud as his calls for Terra to wait up.

Now he just had to convince Aqua to go too. Somehow he had a feeling that was going to be more difficult.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, though she kept her distance. Right. He'd asked for space.

Why did his mouth always say the opposite of his heart?

"No. I don't think that will help this time."

"Hey." Her voice was soft as the silk sheets he'd stolen. Her scent was stronger without his helmet, too; how had she ever worried about her darkness? "It's okay to be scared."

He looked up sharply at that. "I'm not scared." Lie. He never thought he'd be so tired of lying.

"Vanitas."

His breath hitched. She could still say his name so tenderly, after all that she knew. He could turn back time, undo every mistake, and he'd still never deserve that.

"Aqua. See? I can say your name too." He tried to force his sarcastic humor, but his voice wavered. Void, he was useless without his mask. He turned his back to her, though it hurt to think that his last glimpse of her would be stolen from the corner of his eye.

He _had to_ leave. He had to. She couldn't protect him from her Master, even if she wanted to.

"Terra was telling the truth, you know," her voice came again. "I know things are… complicated between us, but I _do_ care about you. You won't be facing all this alone."

Vanitas blinked back tears. It was one thing to feel like Aqua cared. It was other to hear her confirm it. It made his heart do crazy, stupid things.

Like hope.

"You shouldn't," he murmured. "Care about me."

Because then it would just hurt that much more when Eraqus killed him, and what if she tried to stop him; could she really kill two Masters in one day—stupid, she wouldn't kill _her_ Master, Vanitas wasn't worth _that—_

"I think I'll decide what I should and shouldn't do. You said I know right from wrong."

Now she was turning his words against him. It wasn't fair. _None_ of this was fair. If life was fair, he'd be whole, and Eraqus wouldn't want to destroy him on principle.

If life was fair, he'd be able to stay.

He shut his eyes tightly. He wouldn't be able to convince her to stop caring... but maybe she could care enough to let him go.

"...Will you do me a favor?" He asked.

"What is it?" Her voice was questioning, but not suspicious.

He dared to turn around and look at her one last time. Mistake. How was he supposed to walk away when she looked down at him with such openness in her blue eyes?

Breathe. He could do this. He still didn't want to die.

(And he still wasn't sure what point there was in living.)

"Would you close your eyes for a second?"

She frowned. "You know, I do want to trust you, but that's a bit of a bold request from someone who kidnapped me before."

He winced. He still wasn't going to apologize for that, though. That was one lie he wouldn't tell.

"I just have a surprise for you. Before we go see everyone. To, um, say thank you." He could almost pretend it wasn't a lie. This was a way of thanking her—she wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. And after everything he'd done to stay close to her, it _would_ be a surprise.

"Okay," she replied, dragging out the word slightly. "If this is a trick though, that's it. I've almost decided to forgive you. Don't ruin it."

 _She's almost forgiven me?_ Warmth flooded through him. It was everything he wanted—was it possible? If he stayed, if he worked for it, if she gave him enough time?

 _Master Eraqus won't give me that time. I—I have to let her go._

Her eyes closed. Long blue lashes stood out against her pale face—how had he not noticed their color before? He added it to the list of things he would remember about her when he was gone.

He stretched his hand back to form a dark corridor. He'd have to be quick; she'd hear it coming, probably think that he was trying to steal her away again.

But just as he had every other time he'd come to a crossroads that would separate them, he stopped and stared. He found himself wishing his half-lie had been more true: he wished he had something to give her. Something she could remember him by, if she wanted to. She had his letter, but that had been half a lie, too. What could he give her that was completely, honestly _him?_

...The idea that came to him made his face flush. He was pretty sure she wouldn't want that, even if she _had_ called him handsome. That was just a joke, anyway, it wasn't like she actually—

"Vanitas?" Her voice sounded almost worried, but her eyes were still closed.

He pushed the thought of kissing her from his mind. Stupid Terra and that Princess, giving him the idea in the first place. Surely there was something else he could do to show how grateful he was for everything Aqua had done.

"I… thank you," he said softly, hoping the words could be gift enough. If he'd had a pen, he would've written them down, scrawled them a thousand times over. "Thank you, Aqua. I'll—I'll never forget you."

He opened the dark corridor just as her eyes flashed open.

"Vanitas!" She reached for him. It took everything in him not to reach back, to let the darkness claim him.

At least the last word he heard from her would be his name. His lips twitched into a smile. The portal surrounded him, and—

" _SLEEP!"_

—The world faded to black.

XXX

Breathe. He could do this. He could do this. Master Eraqus was like a father to him. It didn't matter that he hadn't passed the Mark of Mastery, or that he'd fallen even farther into the darkness that the Master had warned him about…

Okay, maybe it _did_ matter. A lot.

"How am I going to face him?" He found himself asking out loud as Ven went to find the Master. Terra stood in the foyer of the castle with Cinderella, who had been staring in awe at the towering pillars and ornate wall carvings.

"You stood up to my Stepmother," she said, following him with her eyes as he paced the width of the foyer. "I know how strong you are. You can do this, Terra. And you won't be alone, either."

He paused briefly and forced a smile. "Thanks, Cinderella. I'm really glad you're here. Really."

"But?" Her eyebrows rose.

He rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand. "But I'm just… I _failed._ We stopped the Unversed and found Xehanort—" he made a face of disgust at that, "—but I still fell deeper into the darkness. I was supposed to destroy it."

His fist clenched. "Instead I almost let it destroy _me._ If you hadn't been there…"

"Terra." Her hands cupped around his fist, calloused and warm. If only her light could sink in a little deeper, erase the dark power below his skin. "I _was_ there. You were only trying to do what was right."

"But if Xehanort had—"

"He _didn't_." She pressed his hand between hers, flattening out his fist. "He tricked you, Terra. That isn't your fault."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. That wasn't how the Master would see it. It was his responsibility to control his own darkness, no matter what anyone else did.

"Remember what you told Vanitas," she said. "You wanted him to know he could change, didn't you?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I _want_ to believe he can change, because that would mean I can change too. But you heard what I said. I've screwed up so much. I don't know if the Master will understand."

"I suppose I don't know what he's like. Maybe he won't," she admitted. "But even if he doesn't, _you_ understand, don't you?"

Did he? He kept thinking back on the events of the day, wondering if there was anything he could've done differently. Any path where his darkness wouldn't have awakened. But he'd called on it to try and save his friends… how could he regret that?

"I did what I had to." He exhaled deeply. "I guess now I just have to pick up the pieces so my darkness doesn't get out of hand again."

She smiled. "You have a strong heart, Terra. What was it you told me? Strength of heart will carry you through the hardest of trials?"

"Heh. I guess I did." Did she really think his heart was strong, after all the weaknesses he'd admitted? As they'd flown here on his glider, he'd told her what happened with Aurora. What Maleficent had forced him to do. Had his heart grown stronger since then? If that were to happen again, would he be able to fight the darkness's influence?

Cinderella seemed to think so. He hoped he wouldn't have to find out.

"We've faced difficult trials together already," she continued. Her thumb softly brushed along the back of his hand. "No matter what, I'm going to keep believing in you, Terra. I hope you'll keep believing in yourself too."

She believed in him—she _loved_ him. Light, how had he gotten so lucky?

"I will." He lifted her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

Then he nearly dropped her hand when he heard a throat clearing behind him.

"Terra."

He spun at the Master's voice. "Master Eraqus!" He bowed low from the waist as Ven fought to contain a snicker. _Thanks for the warning,_ he thought, but didn't glare at his friend. He was too busy trying not to cringe from the weight of the Master's stern gaze.

"Come. It appears we have much to discuss."

"Yes—of course." He straightened and followed Master Eraqus down the hall towards his study, glancing back for a moment to see Cinderella clasp her hands anxiously in front of her. Hopefully Ven would be able to reassure her for the time being.

Too quickly Terra was standing in the small study, the bookshelves looming over him. At least the Master didn't stand behind the thick wall of his desk. Instead he lowered himself into one of the ornate armchairs in the corner of the room.

"You may sit," he said. Terra did so, but didn't feel any more comfortable than when he was standing. His elbows rested on his knees, trying to keep them from bouncing with nervous energy. "Now. I'd like to hear from you what happened today."

When faced with that simple question, everything came crashing back in. Where could he start? Xehanort's betrayal? Watching Ven fall? Cinderella protecting him from the darkness? Aqua finally destroying the old Master's heart for good?

It was all too much. He shouldn't have come back so soon; he wasn't ready. Wasn't ready to face the disapproval in his Master's face when he spoke of his own actions over the past days.

But he was here, and the Master wouldn't wait forever.

"Master, I—I failed," he burst when the silence grew too painful. Eraqus frowned slightly, but Terra kept talking. "You warned me about the darkness, and I—I used it anyway, I was so angry and scared—"

Light, tears were dripping from his eyes already. He wasn't even strong enough to hold that back.

"Terra," Master Eraqus said gently. "Oh, Terra."

Before Terra knew what was happening, the Master was kneeling before him, pulling him out of the chair and into a firm hug.

"What?" He gasped. "I thought—I thought you'd be furious with me!"

A low chuckle escaped the Master's lips. He rocked back and forth, like he used to when Terra was still a child, waking up with nightmares of his now-forgotten home. "You're like a son to me, Terra. I was _terrified_ for you. The kind of dark power buried inside you… I've seen how it can corrupt a man."

Terra flinched. " _Darkness is our foe. Would that we could be rid of it. You must destroy it."_ Lessons from the Master who held him in his arms.

"I know, Master," he replied shakily. "But I… it was the only way. I don't know what Ven told you, but Xehanort—he was going to kill Ven and Aqua, and—and _possess_ me, I think—"

The Master's arms tensed around him. "Xehanort?"

So Ven _didn't_ tell him. Maybe that was for the best—it was Aqua who had killed Xehanort. Terra didn't want to tell the Master that fact without her knowing first.

"He's gone. He's—dead," was all he said.

"I… I see."

Terra heard the Master swallow. Something wet dripped onto his shoulder, soaking through the ridiculous formal suit he still wore.

"I'm sorry, Master. He had to be stopped."

"I believe you."

Terra's eyes widened. He pulled back enough to look into his Master's scarred face, his damp eyes. "You do?"

He gave a gravelly chuckle. "I thought we could reconcile. I thought the stain on his heart could fade… but some darkness is simply too deep." His fingers brushed the jagged scar on his face. Many times Terra had wondered where it came from, but the Master had provided no explanation. "I let my own heart blind me, and I put you in danger because of it. If anyone is at fault here, it is I."

The implications of his words sank in slowly. Had… had the Master _known_ Xehanort was using darkness? And he'd still invited him to the Mark of Mastery, to their _home?_

"You mean you could've stopped this?" Disbelief mixed with anger. Terra had tried to hold back his darkness all this time, had been so afraid of how his Master would react—and yet he'd excused its presence in _Xehanort_ of all people?

"Perhaps it was possible," he admitted with a sigh. "Xehanort and I have always been equally matched, however. I may not have succeeded the way you did."

"But you knew? You knew Xehanort was capable of—of _this?"_ His fingernails dug into the Master's shoulders, but he didn't so much as flinch. He looked more drained than Terra had ever seen him.

"I thought he had changed. If anything, this proves that while my heart was weak, my philosophies were correct—darkness cannot be trusted."

His fist clenched, and Terra scrambled out from between him and the chair to stand upright. His weight balanced on his toes, ready to—to what? Run? This was his Master; he couldn't just— _leave._

 _Cinderella did,_ he remembered. Not that the Master was like her Stepmother, but—light, he was just so _scared._

"If darkness can't be trusted, what does that mean for me?" His question was half demand, half plea. He couldn't—the Master wouldn't cast him away for his weakness, would he?

Master Eraqus didn't speak. His head drooped low as he remained kneeling.

"Well?" Terra growled as his fear snapped to anger. He couldn't take it. He'd expected to be berated for his darkness, but somehow, this was worse. The thought that his Master could extend mercy to Xehanort and not to him…

"I do not know," he finally murmured. "I don't know, Terra. Please… you must understand. Xehanort was once my dear friend. To learn that he would do such a thing to you, Aqua, and Ven… I have much to consider."

" _You_ have a lot to consider? He wanted to destroy us! I don't care if he was your friend—!"

" _Terra,"_ the Master spoke sternly, making him swallow. "I understand that this day has tried your heart immensely. I only want to do my best to help you, which means refraining from any rash decisions."

"You want to help," he echoed hollowly. If only he could believe it. He'd thought Xehanort wanted to help, too. If Master Eraqus didn't know what to do about the darkness…

"I need answers." He clenched his fists, feeling the dark energy that teemed too close to the surface. It had never been so quick to respond before—was it a side effect of his close call with Xehanort? Or was his anger just that much sharper now? He'd thought he was closer to controlling it… Was it just Cinderella's light holding it back all along? "If I can't find them here…"

"What do you intend to do?" Eraqus stood, his voice rising in response. "Find answers in the Worlds? From sources like Xehanort?"

Terra wanted to bristle at the sharp words, but the truth cut deep enough to make him wince. He'd met Maleficent on his travels, and that jealous queen—hearts steeped in darkness, just like Xehanort's.

Just like his own.

Those people… he'd already learned they couldn't help him. He wouldn't, _couldn't_ end up like them.

"What am I supposed to do?" Tears again leaked down his cheeks. He was as powerless to call them back as he was to hold back his darkness. Only now his anger had faded, taking the dark energy with it. In its place was a cold numbness. "I can't—I can't just wait while you figure it out. If you decide I'm not w-worthy to use the keyblade..."

He hated how his voice stuttered, shaking under the weight of his tears.

"Terra," Master Eraqus said, his brow and voice softening. His hand firmly gripped Terra's shoulder, grounding him in place, making the room spin a little less. "You have been my student for twelve years. _Never_ have I thought you unworthy."

"What?" Terra sniffed and looked up. His vision was still blurry, it was hard to tell what expression the Master wore. How could he hate the darkness and still find Terra worthy?

"Darkness lurks in every heart. Even my own." His face turned aside. "If I let you believe I would reject you, my own student—my own _son…_ then perhaps my darkness is more unforgivable than yours."

Terra gasped slightly. "Then… you're not going to… to…"

Terra wasn't sure what he feared more. Being banished from the Land of Departure? Being trapped here forever? Losing his right to bear the keyblade?

"No, Terra. You aren't being punished."

He felt like a little kid again as he threw his arms around his Master's shoulders. "Thank you, Master. I won't disappoint you again, I'll—I'll try harder…"

He fell back into the same routine he always did. Apologizing, making promises he couldn't keep. He _would_ try harder, but his darkness wouldn't be that simple to contain. He should've said as much, but the words wouldn't come out. Not when all he wanted was for his Master—for his _father_ —to accept him.

"Remember what I told you, Terra. You mustn't be afraid of failing. Even of failing me." The Master's smile turned sad as he pulled out of the embrace.

 _How can I not be afraid, when all I've ever known how horrible darkness is?_

But he was too tired to argue. Too tired to say much else at all.

"Thank you, Master." He stepped back and bowed, just as deep as respect demanded. His heart was still being pulled every which way; he would need more time to sort out the Master's words.

But he _would_ have time, at least. The Master wasn't sending him away.

Master Eraqus smiled, unaware of Terra's thoughts.

"Now I believe we are all in need of rest… but first, would you be willing to explain why you have brought a girl from an outside world with you?"

Terra startled, quickly blinking eyes crusty with tears. How could he have forgotten? The Master's tone wasn't harsh anymore, but admitting any other mistakes right now still felt like too much.

...But he couldn't really call giving Cinderella a keyblade a mistake. She saved Ven's life. Light, she'd saved _his_ life.

"She's a keyblade wielder." If he didn't yet say _how_ she became a wielder, well, there would be time for that conversation later, when Terra wasn't dead on his feet.

Eraqus's eyes widened slightly. "A keyblade wielder?"

"And a Princess of Heart," he added. "And she's—she saved us. She held back my darkness when I couldn't. She deserves to be here as much as any of us—"

"All keyblade wielders are welcome here, Terra." The Master interrupted before Terra could ramble about how amazing Cinderella was. Then he seemed to realize the irony of his words, and his mouth twisted into a grimace. "Those who use the keyblade for… for _good,_ that is."

For good. Not for light, as the Master would typically say. It's a small thing, but to Terra, it meant everything. He might not be light right now, but he was _good._

"Thank you, Master." His bow was sincere this time.

"I look forward to meeting your keyblade wielder… friend." Eraqus's eyes crinkled when he smiled, and Terra's face went red.

" _Master…"_

Mopping floors might seem like a reward compared to the embarrassment the Master could unleash on him. But all things considered, he was lucky. The Master didn't hate him. He wasn't angry.

It wasn't until he'd already excused himself to go clean up that he remembered Cinderella wasn't the only other keyblade wielder they'd brought home.

And Eraqus's reactions to Vanitas might be significantly less understanding.

XXX

Vanitas looked peaceful as he slept on top of her blue comforter. The creases of his scowls were gone, and his frantic shallow gasps gave way steady breaths. No nightmares, no explosions of Unversed. Her Sleep spell must have been strong enough to soothe his subconscious.

She wished her own heart could be soothed as easily.

He wanted to leave, to run away from the only people who had ever tried to help him. _Why?_ And maybe more importantly—why did she care so badly? If he didn't want to stay, it wasn't like she could force him to. She wouldn't kidnap him the way he had done to her. And he could make those dark portals; he would be able to escape any time he wanted.

But she'd stopped him already. And she was afraid she knew why.

"I hope I'm not being selfish," she murmured as she sat at the edge of her bed, smoothing his ragged bangs away from his face. A deep exhale fluttered the fabric of her sleeve. "You still owe me, you know. How are you supposed to earn my forgiveness if I never see you again?"

An ache shifted in her chest at that thought. Days ago she would have been thrilled to never see him again, and yet… it was still all too complicated. She wasn't sure how long it would take to sort out her feelings.

But she knew she couldn't do it if he was gone.

Fatigue weighed heavily on her limbs, but she couldn't sink into her bed with Vanitas lying in the center of it. She didn't dare leave him alone here, either. For one thing, he might wake up and flee again, and for another, the Master might come looking for her here, and then find Vanitas before she had a chance to explain.

Light, how _could_ she explain? Maybe Vanitas had a reason to be afraid—the Master wasn't understanding when it came to darkness. But she had to try to make him see. She wouldn't abandon Vanitas. He may not have lost his light because of her, but she'd still promised to help him get it back permanently. There had to be a way that didn't involve… _merging_ back with Ven.

Thoughts chased each other in circles, refusing to let her relax in spite of her body's exhaustion. How long had she been awake? The last time she'd slept was… in the woods, right after sharing her light with Vanitas. That short rest felt like ages ago.

Though she couldn't let herself fall asleep, she crossed her legs and steadied her breathing, attempting a simple meditation. That might clear her mind and refresh her body somewhat, even if what would _really_ refresh her was a nice, hot shower…

Some time later, three sharp knocks startled her out of her meditation.

"Aqua?" Terra's voice. "Are you in there?"

Her eyes flashed to Vanitas—who was still asleep, seemingly without a care in the world. She blushed at the thought of Terra seeing him in her bed, but it wasn't like she had anything to be ashamed of. She was just keeping watch over him… while he slept. Alright, that still sounded a little creepy.

Another flurry of knocks. "Aquaaaa." Ven's voice this time. "Are you okay? We haven't seen you since we got home."

Of course they'd be worried. The last they'd seen of her, she was outside with Vanitas—for all they knew, he had kidnapped her again. She really should've checked in with them, even if hiding Vanitas had been her first priority.

"I'm fine," she said, hopefully loud enough to be heard through the door, but quiet enough not to wake Vanitas. Though if the knocking hadn't woken him already, she doubted her voice would. "I was just tired, that's all."

"What?" Ven asked again. So they couldn't hear her.

Sighing, she stood and trudged towards the door. She cracked it just a little before whispering, "I'm just _tired,_ Ven."

She hoped they really were just here to check on her, and not to bring her to Master Eraqus. She didn't want to explain the day's events—to explain that she'd _killed his old friend—_ before having a chance to collect her thoughts.

"Right," Terra said gently before Ven could speak up again. "Is everything… I mean, it's been a rough day. Worse than rough, and you—yeah." He coughed.

Guilt prickled in her. She might be worried about Vanitas, but her friends had suffered so much today, too. They had to be as exhausted as she was.

"I… could be better," she admitted. "But I'll be fine. I just need some rest."

"Is Vanitas resting too?" Ven asked, and Aqua's face warmed again. She couldn't hide him forever.

After a careful glance to make sure the Master wasn't nearby, Aqua opened the door wider. "He's in here," she admitted.

Ven slipped in past her and blinked at the boy sleeping on her bed. "Wow. He must've been _really_ tired."

"Um… he was," Aqua murmured. Terra gave her an odd look, but didn't call her out. Maybe he didn't want to question her so soon after they'd fought. She should… she should really apologize for that. He'd been half-right about Vanitas, after all.

"Where's Cinderella?" Was what she said instead, though.

"Washing up," Terra answered. He must have washed up too, since his hair looked damp, and he was back in uniform instead of that silly outfit he'd fought in earlier. "The Master's preparing a room for her."

"I suppose Vanitas will need a room too," Aqua said quietly, her gaze skimming over the unconscious boy. Ven had taken her earlier position perched on the bed and talking at him, his voice quiet. What was he saying? Was he just trying, somehow, to connect with his other half? It had to be a lot to take in, finding out that he was only half of a heart, even if his was full of light...

"Aqua…" Terra drew her out of her thoughts, and she knew from his tone that something bad was coming. "I don't know if the Master will let him stay. He… he barely made _me_ feel welcome here, at first."

Aqua's eyes widened. "What? Terra, what did he say to you?"

"Just the usual. That darkness can't be trusted," he said with a hint of bitterness. "I'm fine, though. He could've been worse. I've always known how he feels about darkness, so I can't really be surprised."

Deep down, Aqua wasn't either. But still, she'd hoped the Master wouldn't lose faith in Terra so easily.

"You know I don't think any less of you, right?" She asked, gripping his arm. Maybe she would have judged him before, but after coming to understand Vanitas, and seeing just how much Terra wanted to protect those he cared about, including her… whatever darkness the two boys contained, it hadn't made them irredeemable. If anything, the power seemed to hurt _themselves_ more than anyone else.

"You don't?" Terra looked at her in surprise.

"Of course not. Terra, you're my best friend, and what I said before, in the warehouse—it wasn't true, any of it. The darkness _hasn't_ taken you, and even if it had, I'd be there for you. I'm sorry I let my fear and anger get the best of me."

He smiled, a soft, warm look she couldn't imagine being tainted by darkness. "It's okay, Aqua. I understand."

He looked over to where Ven was now yawning as he sprawled out perpendicular to Vanitas at the foot of the bed.

"You thought I'd killed him. I almost did, you know. I really thought what Xehanort said was true—that he was an abomination, beyond hope of salvation." Terra frowned thoughtfully, and a crease appeared between his brows. "But you saw something in him. Something worth saving. Even though he's made of darkness…"

Aqua wasn't entirely sure what he was getting at, but she could make a guess.

"I don't think anyone's beyond salvation, Terra." She let go of his arm, but held onto his hand instead. "Not Vanitas. And definitely not you."

He let out a relieved little chuckle. "Thanks, Aqua. It means a lot."

Ven's snore startled them both, and Aqua laughed.

"Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead…"

He'd fallen asleep at the end of her bed, just below Vanitas's feet. Now she was _never_ going to find a place to sleep.

Unless…

"I know it's been a while, but…" She bit her lip, too embarrassed to finish her request. It was Ven who usually initiated their sleepovers when he had a nightmare, and even those instances were rare since they'd gotten too big to all fit in her bed. Terra might think she was crazy for suggesting it now of all times.

But he just smiled. "I'll get the extra blankets."

She grinned back in appreciation. For all of their miscommunications lately, it was good to know that sometimes, he still knew exactly what she was thinking.

Aqua spread a few decorative pillows from her window bench across the floor, since there was no way all _four_ of them could fit in the bed. Which would be a terrible idea, anyway, since Vanitas would probably freak out if he woke up to three other people sleeping on top of him. The mental image did make her laugh, though.

Finally Terra returned with the blankets—and Cinderella. Of course; Vanitas was here, it made sense that he would bring her too.

"I don't want to intrude," she told Aqua, probably noticing the surprise on her face. "Terra just said he would feel safer if we were all together. I don't mind sleeping on the floor, either."

Terra turned pink, and Aqua fought back the urge to tease him. After all, feeling safe was the reason she'd suggested the sleepover in the first place.

"Of course. Just don't get _too_ close together."

Okay, so she still teased him a little. It wasn't like she'd ever had the opportunity to tease him about a girl before; she had years of catching up to do.

She left them spluttering while she finally took the opportunity to use the shower and change into fresh clothes. By the time she returned, Terra had fallen asleep at the far end of the bed, while Cinderella took the side nearest the window. Their heads were near each other, as if they'd fallen asleep talking. One of these days she'd need to get to know the girl who'd apparently stolen her best friend's heart, but for now she was content to flop down on her own pallet of blankets.

Thankfully, they'd left her the position nearest the door, where she could come between Eraqus and Vanitas should the Master look for them here.

And from this spot, if she wanted to, she could reach up and hold Vanitas's hand as it dangled off of the bed.

"You're going to be safe," she whispered. "I promise."

 **A/N: A soft moment for the gang to decompress at the end, because they deserve it**

 **This chapter was originally going to be longer (big surprise), but I ended up splitting it. I'm estimating 2 chapters left now, for what it's worth. (Assuming I don't split things again.)**

 **Updates on everything will likely be slow this month because of Inktober, and also because I recently got a new job where I'm working full-time, on top of taking a few college classes. So lots of irl stuff goin on, keeping me from finishing this fic this month like I'd wanted to.**

 **Maybe it's a bit early to mention this, but when this fic is finished, I'll finally take "Contingency Plan" off of hiatus :D So looking forward to that too!**


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